From The Stars Series
by ZeoViolet
Summary: Story 10 added. You may remember this series from a few years ago on other sites, but it is gradually being moved here, and to the Yostie Lair. Enjoy! All the seperate stories in the series.
1. And So Life Goes On, story 1

Legal Disclaimer: Well, so many years have passed since I first wrote this story. Looking back, I'm amazed at how much things, such as my writing style, my view of things, etc, has changed....this story was originally handwritten about, oh, five years ago, and typed out over four years ago to first be placed on Cynthia's site. She's a great lady and I'm sorry she had to let it go. It was one of the best out there. Now, it's going onto Mouse's site and places like ff.net, some of the last refuges out there for power rangers stories.  
  
Might as well make a few things clear, for those who've never read anything of mine before: I play fast and loose with the time frame. Things go as usual until Astro, but I really crunch the timeline in the period between the era of Zeo, through Turbo, and until the day of Astro on which my story takes place. In other words, from the time during the Gold Ranger was a mystery until shortly after the season five ending of Astro (where Andros realizes it was Darkonda who snatched Kerone) the timeline is squeezed into a period of about eight months. I know, it makes little sense, and ones wonders how it could all have happened in that small amount of time. But it did, for pretenders sake.  
  
Two other things of note, and that is where I put Andros and Ashley together myself (hey, these stories are actually a year and a half old, Andros and Ashley were not together at the time) and while Andros realized that Darkonda was the kidnapper culprit, he does not go to the alien planet. The Voyager Zords come in later.  
  
And So Life Goes On, part 1 By ZeoViolet Teaser: Cassie at last discovers true love, and disaster threatens to tear Trey and the other rangers asunder.  
  
Ashley Hammond sighed as she stared out at the starline effect of the Megaship in hyperush, which created a dazzling effect she had somehow become addicted to since becoming a Lightstar Ranger.  
  
She was alone, for which she was grateful. If she had had to deal with Andros's icy-cold presence for another afternoon, she would, quite possibly, have screamed in frustration.  
  
*Why does he treat us so distantly?* she almost seethed. *And you, Ashley Hammond, why did you have to pick somebody like him to fall in love with?*  
  
She bit her lip and toyed with the locket around her neck. Suddenly realizing what she was doing, she dropped her hand. No way was she going to let Andros catch her doing what she had so often seen him do, toy with a locket with a faraway, sad expression on his face. The locket had been her twin brother's, or rather, one of them, until an accident had claimed his life a year earlier. Her other twin, as well as Ashley, still had a hard time putting this behind them.  
  
*And I was so like Andros, at first, I am told*, she mused silently. Not even Carlos knew how angry she had been, how filled with pain, and even how she had tried to take her own life.  
  
*How could one lose a twin?* she had wailed. *I've lost a third of my soul, and they tell me life goes on?!*  
  
Eventually, though, the pain had dulled, and the nightmares about Clyde's death began to fade, though not always completely. She and her surviving twin, Johnathan, grew closer in the effort to heal.  
  
She stuffed the locket back under her shirt before anyone saw her. Normally, she did not wear the small piece of jewelry with the peace sign embedded in the front, but it was getting close to the anniversary of his death. It made her feel better to wear it.  
  
She turned her gaze back to the stars, watching the starlines grow thinner and thinner as the ship dropped out of hyperush. She had not *meant* to fall in love with Andros, it had simply happened. His suffering twisted in her own heart like a knife. And yet, any friendly movement from any one of them was rebuffed, especially hers. *She* seemed to disturb him the most.  
  
*And what did we do to deserve it?* Ashly crossed her hands over her slim stomach and bit her lip. *Yes, he is cold. Yes, we sort of intruded on the solitary life he created for himself. And yes, he lost his sister and everything else he knew. Is that any reason to reject us like that? The only one who can ever talk to him is Carlos. If he would just open up a little--*  
  
The soft *swish* of the bridge door alerted her to the fact that someone had entered. And, without even turning around, the mixture of a sudden chill (and also a sense of anticipation of dread) that bolted up her spine told her exactly who it was who had entered.  
  
She felt his hazel eyes boring into her back, but she stubbornly stood her ground and did not turn around. She thought he would simply stalk to a console and tap on it, or leave just as quickly, or snap at her for some reason or other, but he did not do any of those things. She was mildly surprised when his soft footsteps walked the contours of the bridge until he was beside her.  
  
He stopped next to her, about three feet away, and simply looked at her a moment. Then, to her further surprise, she watched out of the corner of her eye as he turned his gaze, also, to the stars, by now looking normal, and one star in particular loomed brightly. A bright blue, brown, and white ball began to fill the corner of the screen.  
  
"Entering Earth's orbit," announced DECA. Both occupants of the room ignored her, they simply continued to watch the screen, while Ashley was desperately wondering what she had done now to make him act even more strangely than usual.  
  
The silence lingered until, at last, he spoke. "Earth. Ashley, what do you see in that place, anyway?"  
  
Now she did look at him, surprise registering in her brown gaze. "*Why*? Andros, don't you ever miss KO-35? Any friends you may once have had? Your *Family*?!" The words had come out more sharp and cutting than she had meant to around him, considering the subject she was talking about with somebody like him, and she instantly regretted the sharp pain she saw in his eyes, as well as hurt. Somehow, the comment had struck a chord in him she had never before seen, but inwardly knew what it was.  
  
"Oh, Andros, I am so sorry!" she exclaimed, her face going red. "Me and my big mouth!" Before she could stop herself and realize that she had quite possibly made another mistake, she had gripped his hand and looked into his eyes, asking forgiveness. Well knowing his apparent aversion to touch, she waited for him to jerk away angrily.  
  
Again, he surprised her by doing nothing, only staring at her.  
  
She found herself staring back into hazel eyes that now revealed more to her than she had ever before seen. She could see pain and heartache speared into his soul, it seemed, as well as a certain new level of understanding, but for what she could not quite fathom. As always, there was the veiled hint of the inner battle he constantly fought, an inner conflict of guilt he could not resolve.  
  
"It-it is okay, Ashley," he stammered at last. "I guess...I did not phrase it right. The-the question, I mean." He blushed. "I-I do miss my home, I guess, and I don't have much family, besides Kerone, and--" he abruptly stopped. "Anyway, I also--apologize." His hazel gaze left hers and turned back to the blue sphere that was now in front of them, filling the viewscreen with it's awesome beauty.  
  
Ashley could only stare at him in shock. Why was he acting so--well, un- Andros? The Andros she knew would never have acted like that in the first place, much less apologize and still leave his hand (which was unexpectedly warm) in hers. To put it mildly, he would have been much colder, much gruffer. This was a side of Andros Ashley suspected few ever saw. And why now? Why her? The question ran through her mind as she finally tore her gaze from his hansome face and looked at the screen again.  
  
"Ashley? What is your family like?" She jumped. It was *really* starting to worry her, how strangely he was acting....  
  
"My family? What a question.....my father died when I was young, I don't remember much of him, nor does my brother.....Mom raised us three by ourselves...." unable to finish, she changed the subject. "Why, Andros? Why that question? You have never been so interested in anybody else before."  
  
"I--I don't know why, really." Blushing again, he brushed it off.  
  
Ashley was about to open her mouth when a laughing Cassie ran in, chased by TJ. Carlos followed, and Alpha. All were eager to get back to Earth, and their normal lives. Amidst the hustle and bustle, Ashley did not get a chance to finish what she wanted to say.  
  
****  
  
Trey, Lord of Triforia, watched the blue-green sphere fill the viewing screen of the pyramidas. HIs unmorphed dark gaze took in the beautiful little world with it's incredible seas, strange landmasses, and spreads of white clouds circling the planet.  
  
Earth. He had not been there in months. Not since the last bittersweet parting of the friends he had mangaged to make of the Zeo Rangers there, friends that had given him a certain persepective on life he had thought forever lost to his mind. He had been proud to call Tommy, Billy, Jason, Katherine, Tanya, and Rocky his friends, and had certainly never forgotten them, their strong team unity, and their courage.  
  
Now, they were gone, replaced by a new generation of Rangers. The older ones had gotten on with their lives, having given their Turbo powers, as they were called, to a new set. Those powers were gone, and in their place was the same team (almost) with the Lightstar powers. And facing many dangerous new foes, like Dark Spectre.  
  
Which was why he was here to warn them. Some dangerous new foes under Dark Spectre's command were coming to aid Astronema in conquering this sector of space, and their first target was Earth. Trey was quite unwilling to see such a fine planet turned into a barren wasteland, which was what might very well happen, even with the powerful Lightstar Powers protecting the planet. Though their power sources now differed, and the Power Chamber had been destroyed, he was here to help, in any way he could.  
  
"*Dijilste Quin'tala*," announced his computer, in the High Triforian tongue. Trey winced. He had done it *again*, forgetting to set the computer language to Standard as he usually did for interstellar travel. Reaching over and tapping a couple of pads on a panel, the computer announced, in Standard this time, "Entering Earth's orbit."  
  
Trey sighed, and leaned back in his chair. No hiding who he was this time. Last time, it had only been to temporarily protect the Earth Ranger's own interest. And it had worked, until the accident (heck, he had been literally mowed down) on Aquitar.  
  
As the Pyramidas entered Earth's atmosphere, he reflected on what little he did know of Earth and it's various cultures. He smiled slightly as he recalled Tommy asking him in bewilderment how a planetary leader could manage to spend so much time away from the planet he ruled.  
  
Trey could not quite hide his amusement as he explained that the title of Lord of Triforia was not much more than ceremonial, basically, his people had freedom of choice to do as they wished. He only made the final decisions on planetary-scale matters, or matters of war, things in that domain. And in his culture, there were no such things as servants or money. Work got done because the individual wanted it. done, and was willing to do it, or get a friend to use his talents to do it for him, done in good cheer.  
  
It made seeing the American's way of life a little easier. Technically, at least, they had freedom of choice. Still, poverty, disease, famine, and war could erupt. Most humans were basically kind, to his eye, and were worth helping. Many other interstellar races called Earth backwards and condemned the planet as being a spawning ground for an evil race.  
  
Others, though, had seen the kind side to the human civilization, which was bigger than the evil side. The human civilization was only a few thousand years old, and had evolved faster than any race he had ever before heard of. There had evolved from that planet works of art and literature, like Shakespere and Motzart, that were now famous throughout the universe. A pure evil race could not have produced such prodigies as these and many others. People like Zordon, Dimitria, Ninjor, the Aquitians, and others, saw humans as having enough merit to understand what they were truly capeable of, and to soar above and beyond. He, himself, proudly counted the Zeo team as cherished friends.  
  
Bringing himself back to reality, Trey refocused on the present as he felt the subtle shift underneath his feet that indicated the Pyramidas had docked on Earth and cloaked. He had a job to do.  
  
"Computer, is the Megaship on Earth?" he asked.  
  
"Affirmative. Megaship is docked at NASADA compound," said the computer cheerfully.  
  
"Are any of the Lightstar Rangers aboard?"  
  
"Affirmative. Cassie Chan and Andros Ackerson are on board."  
  
"Locate the other Rangers."  
  
"Ashley Hammond is in her place of residence. Carlos Perez is attending an event referred to on Earth as soccer, TJ Anderson is attending an event called baseball."  
  
Trey pressed his lips together in thought. "Open a locked channel to the Megaship."  
  
"Channel opened."  
  
Trey swallowed before he started to speak. "Attention, Lightstar Rangers. This is Trey, Gold Ranger of the planet Triforia. I am docked on Earth, and must speak with you at the first opprotunity."  
  
He paused, waiting for a reply. He was not long in silently sitting, a buzz alerted him that he was recieving a reply.  
  
"This is Cassie Chan, the Pink Lightstar Ranger." A young woman, appearing to be about eighteen years of age with midnight-dark hair and dazzling eyes appeared on the screen. "How may we help you, Lord Trey of Trifoira?"  
  
"Please, call me Trey." He hated formalities that many totalitarian insisted on using for planetary leaders. ""I have come on an urgent mission. I don't want to say it even over this channel, but I must speak with you and your team."  
  
Cassie looked thoughtful. "That is okay with me, but if we do meet, it had better be in a semipublic place, for safety's sake. If Astronema gets wind of the fact you are here and we have gathered on one ship or the others, she may very well attack. This way, we could blend into the crowd."  
  
"Then wherever you designate as appropriate, I will come."  
  
"How about the north corner of Angel Grove Park?" she asked. "It is relatively private, just public enough for the rare passerby. We won't be disturbed. There is just one thing," she grinned, amused. "You would not have any earth-style clothes, would you?"  
  
Trey blushed, realizing that his black-and-gold tunic would draw attention from onlookers if he went out in public. "I can replicate some."  
  
"Good. Then meet us in the north corner, by the lake. There is a group of rocks, we can meet there." " "Okay. Trey out." he sighed, before going down to his quarters to his pesonal replicator. He ordered up what humans called a pair of black "jeans" and a black-and-gold shirt. Putting them on, he grimaced at how restrictive the jeans were.  
  
*How do humans stand it?* he wondered, also slipping on a pair of earth- style sandals. At least these were more familar. He grabbed a dermal synthesizer to change the pigmentation over his left eye, obliterating the gold mark that all Triforians were born with. Looking into a mirror, he deemed his disguise complete. Shaking his writst to make his communicator appear, he disappeared in a swirl of black and gold.  
  
And So Life Goes On, Part 2 By ZeoViolet  
  
Cassie was the first to make it to the designated meeting spot at Angel Grove Park by the lake. She hopped across a few large rocks while waiting for the rest to arrive, contemplating what an old ally of the Zeo Rangers could possibly need from them. She knew Tommy and Kat well, they told her and her friends a lot of the history of the Power Rangers, so the name Trey of Triforia was not new. Still, after an absence of several months, she wondered why he was appearing again so suddenly.  
  
Andros was the next to arrive, sullen and quiet as usual. Still, something about him make Cassie give him a hard glance.  
  
*There *is* something different about him*, she thought, noticing the subtle difference Ashley had noticed in him earlier. He seemed nervous, he was not looking her in the eye, and their was color on his face. *He's really acting *weird.*  
  
"Hi, Andros" she said, giving him one of her famous smiles. He mumbled a response and climbed up onto a high rock, taking no further notice of her as the others arrived.  
  
Cassie shrugged, by now used to his mumbled responses to questions and his constant rubbing of their inexperience in their faces, reminding them that he still considered them only *planetary* rangers and knew absolutely nothing about space. It was only recently that they discovered that they could break through his barriers on *any* level and call him a friend.  
  
TJ arrived next, still dressed for baseball practice. Cassie only smiled to herself as she saw him take off his protective headgear and fan his face with it. Typical TJ.  
  
Ashley and Carlos came running up, or rather, Carlos was chasing Ashley as she ran, laughing, and holding her sides. Cassie did not know what was so funny, but she could not help grinning at the pair--until she noticed Andros turn his gaze in their direction. She was startled to see an angry scowl flash across his face before it resumed it's normal impassivity. If he had been any other person, she would have sworn it was jealousy. But this was *Andros*...  
  
It took a few more minutes before Trey showed up. Somewhere in the distance, there was a barking of a dog, one that struck Cassie as familiar. But before she could dwell on it, Trey came around the bend in the path and approached them, looking pale and slightly spooked.  
  
Cassie did not even bother with formal greetings. "Are you okay, Trey?" she asked, concerned.  
  
He nodded. "I believe so. It was just this....large golden creature that made a strange gutteral sound at me, that is all. Rather startled me."  
  
Cassie frowned. "'Golden creature'? A dog?"  
  
"If that is what you call those beasts."  
  
"I thought that bark sounded familiar," Cassie muttered, scrambling down from the rock she had been sitting on. "Just a sec, guys, I'll be right back."  
  
She hightailed it down the path and around the bend, with the other rangers looking after her in curiosity. Then, a large bark was heard again, and Cassie came running, dragged along by a huge golden dog on a leash. The dog saw the Rangers and barked happily, trying to get closer.  
  
"Jetson, you silly dog, slow *down*!" Cassie panted, tugging on the leash and digging her heels in so he could not get the best of her. "How did you get out, anyway? I thought I had locked the gate before I left! And how did you get your leash on--"  
  
She stopped as she noticed Trey going completely sheet-white while he stiffened considerably. Cassie frowned, puzzled. "It is okay. This is my dog, Jetson. He won't hurt you."  
  
"I expect not," he said at last, "But on Triforia, there is an animal that looks very similar....but they are highly...carnivorous. Rare, but still...."  
  
Cassie thought she understood. "Well, most dogs on Earth won't attack, unless they have been trained as attack dogs. Jetson here won't jump on you unless he wants to play. But I still don't understand how he got out," she mused as Trey relaxed and turned a bright red, realizing how silly the whole situation was.  
  
"Jet*son*!" cried a male voice, one that seemed to be losing patience. "Where are you, you silly dog!"  
  
Ashley seemed to recognize the voice. "Johnathan, is that you?" she called.  
  
"Ashley?" said the voice, as a handsome boy came around the corner. "Have you seen that dog of Cassie's? He ran this way--oh," he whispered suddenly, noticing who else was present. "You busy, Ashley?" she was glad that her twin brother knew she was a Power Ranger.  
  
"Jetson's here," Ashley assured him, indicating Cassie. "Cassie found him. What'd you do, let him loose?"  
  
"After Cassie left, I was going to take him for a walk, and when we got to the park, he got all excited and tore toward some strange guy--why, that was you!" he noticed Trey among the group. "Really, Ash, is there a problem?"  
  
Ashley sighed and smiled. Only Cassie had ever met her brother, because she lived with the Hammonds, and besides, Johnathan was not around much. So she had to introduce them.  
  
"There might be, Johnathan," she murmured. "Guys, this is my twin brother, Johnathan. And don't worry, he knows about us being Power Rangers. I had to tell him and my mother after my first little adventure in space."  
  
"She sure did," said her handsome brother. "About the only time in my life I about fainted--from shock, anyway."  
  
Ashley smiled as she rattled off the introductions of the rest of her teammates. "And that boy who Jetson scared is Trey. He's--not exactly from around here, Johnathan," she stumbled, wondering how to tell him how far away Trey definetly came from.  
  
"When I saw him with you, I thought not," Johnathan said levelly. "Nice to meet you, Trey. I hope you don't mind my asking--but where are you from? Jetson never caused a reaction like that in anybody else before."  
  
"My planet is called Triforia," Trey answered evenly, looking Ashley's brother in the eye.  
  
"Cool." Johnathan only shrugged and smiled. "I'll be nearby with the dog, Ash. Holler if you need me." With that, he turned and jogged off, Jetson running happily behind him, ready to play.  
  
****  
  
"So, what is going on?" Cassie managed to ask at last. Trey sighed, sitting up straighter as he put the last of the dog incident out of his mind.  
  
"Dark Spectre is sending in some dangerous new minions to aid Astronema in conquering Earth first, then the rest of this sector of space. I seriously doubt that the Lightstar powers would be able to defeat them alone. And after Earth is conquered, they will go after certain other nearby worlds with powerful Rangers that protect the planet. Triforia will most likely be included in the onslaught. I am their only Zeo Power Ranger, but it is still seen as enough of a threat. They must be stopped, here and now." he paused, thinking. "There is one other danger to add to this little mix. Rumor has it that Astronema has gotten hold of a dangerous device. I expect it is a weapon, in a way, but not in the traditional sense. It brings a person's most painful memories and feelings up front, and maginifes them, thus driving the afflicted person insane with greif, pain, anger, rage, or any other negative feeling that is encountered. If it afflicts them too long, it will leave the person an emotional wreck, livid with guilt and pain." For some reason, Trey shuddered, and Cassie was surprised to see a flash of sadness in his eyes, and guilt. But he did not elaborate. "This weapon will also have to be destroyed."  
  
"And you are certain that the six of us could do it?" asked Ashley, wrapping her arms around her knees, and resting her chin on them.  
  
"Perhaps, if we act wisely. These are dangerous creatures, Ashley, and I believe it would be easier if we used our brains instead of the brawn of our powers. Plus, we may have one more source of help. The one you know as the Phantom Ranger was at a meeting of Eltarans recently. I did not attend, but rumor has it he also volunteered to face this army. It is said Earth holds a great deal of personal importance to him, though I am not sure why. I've never met him."  
  
Cassie blushed and lowered her eyes. It had been three weeks since the Hercuron incident. She hoped that he was alive, and well. If he died, it would be her own heart, too, that would die.  
  
Thankfully, only Ashley seemed to notice her reaction. She laid a hand on Cassie's shoulder and squeezed it gently. Cassie gave her a grateful smile before returning her attention to Trey.  
  
"Do you have any idea as to how we should go about this?" she asked.  
  
For the first time, Andros spoke up. "Maybe it would be best if we split into two groups, each group focusing on one directive." His hazel eyes glowed, as if he was grateful to have something to finally focus on, besides his hands.  
  
"I agree," said Trey. "You, Ashley, and Carlos could go after the weapon Astronema has. TJ, and Cassie could come with me, if your Astrozord is capeable of being piloted by one or two rangers."  
  
"It is," answered Andros. "They will be perfectly capeable of piloting the Zord by themselves. I trust them."  
  
His words made Ashley stare at him in astonishment. If that was the case, then why had Andros never acted like this before? She sincerely hoped that he was not merely putting on an act for Trey's sake. She would literally kill him if he was. At any rate, at least, she would never forgive him.  
  
And so, at least, that basic part was settled. What was not settled was the certainty of the actions they were about to undertake.  
  
****  
  
"IIIII Rrrrreeaallllyyyyy hhhaaaaatttttte ttthhhhiiiisssss!!!!" yelled Cassie, holding onto her console as the Megaship twice flipped a complete 360 degrees, whirling from the latest blast it had taken.  
  
"So do I!" yelled TJ over the din. "But Trey said to keep them distracted while he finished preparing that computer virus to infect their systems! Hold on, Cass!"  
  
"I'm trying!" Cassie summoned up the Megalasers and bashed one of the nearby ships with it, almost satisfied as it went out in a brilliant yellow- orange glare of flame. "Gotcha!"  
  
"Nice shot!" TJ called, wishing he could see Cassie's grin behind her morphed helmet. "Hey, Trey, you about ready?"  
  
"Just about!" he called over the comm system. "Keep them occupied for just a few more minutes, will you? Just a few more adjustments and I can put an end to this fleet of ships with just a few more shots. After I infect them, there is a new Megazord formation I want you to try, and our systems should be compatible enough to allow us to handle it. There!" his tone had a note of pride in it. "I am transmitting the data to you now. Cassie, you are in the best position to fire the virus torpedo straight into their matrix. I have confidence you can do it."  
  
"Thanks!" she said as she recieved the necessary data, coded to protect the Megaship's own systems from going haywire. "DECA, download this into the torpedo bay as fast as you can."  
  
"Already done." the computer sounded miffed. "Fast enough for you, Miss Chan?"  
  
"Don't start now, DECA," Cassie complained. "Alpha, is the target locked on?"  
  
"All sensors indicate affirmative," replied the little robot.  
  
Cassie's grin was almost malicious as she reached for the red button on her console. "Firing torpedo."  
  
****  
  
The torpedo slammed into the center ship of the enemy formation. It was not enough to make the ship explode, but the outside structural damage was not important as the ship began to act like an electrical conductor. Sparks and bolts of electricity radiated from the ship, to other ships in the formation, getting to most of them as the virus began to shut down their systems.  
  
"Nice shot, Cassie!" crowed TJ from across the room. "You hit 'em right where it hurts!"  
  
Her enthusiasm slowed as she read the readouts on the screen in front of her. "Maybe so, TJ, but the virus did not get to all their ships. A few are still fully functional--and I have no doubt they are extremely mad."  
  
"We took out most of them, right? Be glad for that. Now, let's finish them off!"  
  
"Not so fast, rangers," said Trey over the open comm link. "The main purpose of the virus was to disable them enough so that we could have a good chance of fighting them and winning. What is left, and even the disabled ships themselves, are still a force to be reckoned with."  
  
"What do you suggest we do? What about that zord transformation?" asked Cassie.  
  
"I was just getting to that," he said, a hint of amusement in his tone. "Listen carefully, and look carefully at the readouts I am transmitting to you. I believe our systems are compatible enough to form the Astro-Zeo Ultrazord. There are defense systems in your zord that my zord does not possess, and likewise with the Pyrmaidas. Together, we should have more than enough power and variety to pound our opponents to dust." "Wow..." whistled TJ as the diagram came up onto his monitor. "Sounds complex. But sure, Trey, if you think it will work, let's give it a shot-- and finish these creeps!"  
  
"Agreed." Trey's tone turned amused again. "Do humans normally whistle when they are in awe of something?"  
  
TJ laughed outright. "Activating the Astro-Zeo Ultrazord, now!"  
  
In deep space, the zord fomation began to change. As in times of Zeo, the back of the Pyramidas began to open, and upon it docked the fully-formed Astro Megazord. As their systems connected, the power surge went off their charts.  
  
"Astro-Zeo Ultrazord, battle ready!" announced TJ.  
  
"And so are you," chuckled Cassie, next to him in the Megazord cockpit. She was cut off from saying anything further, however, when the console in front of her beeped, and DECA announced, "Incoming transmission."  
  
Cassie looked at the channel ID screen, and felt her face flood with color, and she was sincerely glad TJ could not see her face just then.  
  
It was from the Phantom Ranger.  
  
****  
  
"Remind me again why we are doing this," muttered Ashley as they tailed the quantron ship to the Dark Fortress, careful to hide in it's trail so they would not be spotted.  
  
"We have got to stop Astronema from using that device before she unleases it on your planet," answerd Andros, as dourly as ever. "It would make your people much easier to conquer if they were a bunch of emotional cripples."  
  
"No doubt," she answered, just as cooly. *Like you act sometimes, a total pushover*, she added silently. *Why did I ever have to fall for someone like you?* she berated herself for the thousandth time.  
  
"Maybe you should both cool it," announced Carlos from behind them. "We have a job to complete, without a conversation taking on the tone of one of your arguments."  
  
Andros simply shrugged and refocused his attention to the back of the quantron fighter. He was determined to direct this mission, for inexperienced rangers like those two could get hurt easily--especially Ashley.  
  
*Oh, no, not again," he thought, feeling his heart begin to race. *Ashley....*  
  
What was she *doing* to him? The one ranger who could really irritate him with her naieve attitude, constantly getting herself into the worst scrapes, and forcing him to continually come to her rescue--so it seemed. Actually, she was perfectly capeable of taking care of herself, but he still found himself helping to defend her at every opprotuity--  
  
*And why do I even bother?* he asked. *Why is it always *her* I end up with so much since we met? Every time she manages to get herself into trouble, I feel like wrangling her neck--and sighing with relief to know she is safe, like the rest of them,* he assured himself quickly. *Maybe it is not so bad, really--her eyes are really pretty, after all, and so deep-- *  
  
Irritated, he shook his head and frowned. No, he would not let himself start thinking about her like that again. He must focus on his mission, and not let himself get distracted like she had done to him the day before. They already knew too much about him, his sister, his past--they did not need to know any more, how he would not even be alive if--and it was his fault--  
  
He buried the anguish before it could slam him again. No, they must never know. Surely they would blame, or ostracize him, and, though he only admitted it to himself, he was not so sure he wanted that anymore.  
  
*Friends?* his mind questioned. *Teammates, yes, but--are they my friends, too? They always stick together, and pull me into their silly rituals, but do they want me to be a--friend? And am I even capeable of it anymore?*  
  
It was then the very real truth hit him, and he no longer had the strength to deny most of it. *Yes, if they want me to accept them, perhaps it is time to move on. But how can I? I don't even know where to begin, I don't even remember what having a real friend feels like anymore. They must think I am a cold, callous iceberg by now. And Ashley--*  
  
He also no longer had the strength to deny that she affected him much more deeply than the others. Her eyes, her spirit, her demeanor, even her air of innocence in the face of battle attracted him to her, and it made him irritable when she managed to get herself into trouble, with the very real possibility of her being killed loomed in the air.  
  
*Is that why she irritates me so?* the thought sprang to his mind unbidden. *Because I am--attracted to her?*  
  
The thought was too new, too raw, to stay in his mind for more than an instant, but some inner part could not deny that she had caught his attention in a soul-wrenching way from the very first, and he just was denying it to himself.  
  
Unfortunately, before he could contemplate the matter further, the Dark Fortress loomed ahead, halfway into the shadows, and as forbidding as he recalled. Moving himself into a position near the back escape hatch of the quantron's fighter, he prepared to open it. "Let's do it."  
  
****  
  
Though they had taken the edge off the fighting with the virus, the battle was still unpleasant.  
  
"How much more of this can the zord take, Trey?" Cassie called over the comm system. "They have a lot of resources that I did not expect them to have, you know."  
  
"Nor did I," he responded. "But the zord can last for a little longer. It is the Phantom Ranger I am concerned about. I am not sure how a small starship like his can handle this."  
  
"I've seen him regenerate his ship instantly," put in TJ.  
  
"Not with him inside it," answered Cassie. "I doubt if even *he* could withstand something like that."  
  
Just then, Cassie felt her heart twist in her chest when she saw the scanners register another blast slam his starship, sending it whirling. Some inner sense leaped into the foreground with an astonishing strenght, and in a loud mental tone, began to scream at her.  
  
"Phantom Ranger!" she cried. "TJ, I have to go over there, now! He needs me!"  
  
"Cassie--"  
  
"I must! We have taken out most of them, TJ, you and Trey can handle them, can't you?" though she was morphed, her posture was imploring as she faced him.  
  
Trey, who had heard the whole thing, began, "Cassie, are you sure--"  
  
"Yes!" her tone took on one of odd desperation. "Guys, I must do this!"  
  
TJ no longer hesistated. "Then go, Cassie. And for heaven's sake, be careful!"  
  
"Yes, go," echoed Trey. "And may the power protect you."  
  
Cassie nodded and vanished in a flash of pink light. TJ sighed and transferred control to his station.  
  
Trey's voice came over the system. "I have a feeling that there is more to this than meets the eyes, TJ. All I ask is that you tell me I am right."  
  
"You are right, don't worry about that," answered TJ. "To put is mildly, Trey, she is in love with him, and neither heaven nor hell can stop her once she gets this determined to do something. I believe it is quite obvious she is unwilling to lose him to the grips of death."  
  
Trey was silent for a long moment, and when he finally spoke again, TJ was much surprised to hear hidden, hurriedly-covered anguish in his tone. "Then may the power definetly protect her, and give her what her heart so desperately seeks," he whispered quietly.  
  
TJ, struck dumb, said nothing further on the subject, returning his attention to navigation, only a small part of his mind wondering what was behind the sporadic hints of anguish in Trey's eyes and tone. He doubted if he would find out directly.  
  
****  
  
*They had pounced upon them, as quietly as they themselves had snuck aboard the station. Quick as a flash, all three rangers were demorphed, bound, and, just before they were rendered unconscious, heard Astronema's sharp, "Take them away, I'll deal with them later!" Then the world grew hazy, and that was the last they knew....*  
  
Pain. A sharp throbbing in his temple brought Andros awake, and the suddenness of it also brought memory flooding back in a flash. Ambushed....  
  
*Ashley!* he thought just as suddenly, his eyes snapping open and almost frantically looking around, trying to locate her. His heartrate did not slow when he did, for she was across from him, and though unbound, she was clearly not within the realms of consciousness.  
  
He started to move, looking around for Carlos. The Hispanic boy was in another corner of the room, also out cold. They, like he discovered, did not have bonds restraining their movements any longer, but it did not matter, for he saw no visible opening in the room they were in, only various buttons on a wall console, buttons he had no doubt were guarded against unsupervised access.  
  
His whole body aching, he stumbled to his feet and managed to make it across to Ashley. Gently shaking her, he called softly, "Hey, Ash, wake up, please. Don't do this to me, please wake up--"  
  
*Am I dreaming?* her foggy brain wondered as it struggeled up from the shadowy depths of magic-spell-induced unconsciousness. *Andros actually sounds...concerned.*  
  
"I'm okay," she whispered. "Where's Carlos?"  
  
"Across the room. I'm going to try and wake him up. You be careful."  
  
She nodded, still groggy, and he found it took an effort to turn from her to go to their other fallen teammate. Thankfully, Carlos awoke quickly, and they huddled together in a corner of the room.  
  
"How are we going to get out of here?" Carlos asked. "I don't see a door."  
  
"One of us could make a run for it," suggested Ashley. "Go get help."  
  
"Not advisable, usually," said Andros. "I can't access my morpher, and the Dark Fortress is usually chock-full of quantrons. But we may have no choice."  
  
"I'll go," Carlos volunteered immediately. "You and Ashley look worse for the wear. I could probably make it. I don't see a door, but if it does open, then I will jump whoever comes through, and get out of here. The whole station can't be sheilded like this."  
  
"I doubt that also," said Andros. "It can take a lot of power to generate a regular force to block access to our powers, and that is why we are probably being held here. If you try this fool stunt, Carlos, be careful."  
  
Carlos, a little startled by Andros's apperant trust in him, agreed. *Is he getting stranger by the minute, or what?*  
  
****  
  
They did not have long to wait. Astronema must have found out they were conscious, for she came into the room with Ecliptor at her left, and a quantron to her right. She did not seem to notice that Carlos had convienently placed himself close to the door, while still appearing hurt and groggy. So she paid him no attention, only stalked out of the unapparent doorway and fully into the room.  
  
This proved to be a mistake. As soon as she had tossed her green hair and sauntered past, nose in the air, he bolted. He crashed headlong into the quantron, sending the poor fellow flying into Ecliptor. The way was now clear, and the doorway appeared unguarded....  
  
Astronema whirled at the commotion, and angrily fired her spear at the black form, but missed, and cursed some interesting words as Carlos vainshed out the door, unscathed.  
  
"Drat!" she said, in effect. "Oh, well, he won't get far. Too many quantrons patrol my halls for him to escape.I don't even need to send you two morons after him," she chided Ecliptor and the quantron, the latter whom sagged against the wall in an all-too-clear plea for mercy.  
  
She ignored him. "Now," she turned a cat-like smile on the two remaining rangers. "You are just in time, rangers. Just in time to witness, and experience, the power of my new weapon."  
  
She held up the device they had come to destroy.The smallish, clear sphere with a strange metal skull embedded in the top looked as forbidding as she made it sound. "It is called the Emotion Wrangler. Hold on tight, folks. It is going to be a wild ride."  
  
Ashley's eyes met Andros's, and for once, his gaze reflected exactly what she felt--a tight, growing knot in the pit of her stomach, and her heart racing with fear.  
  
****  
  
Cassie materialized in the starship of the Phantom Ranger. As soon as the pink glittery swirls cleared from her vision, she looked around, squinting in the dimness. Her very senses screamed "Danger!", and she was in no mood to be ambushed as she drew her Satellite stunner and began to creep down the hall.  
  
The place was a wreak, as far as she could tell, and the dim lights cast eerie shadows in the corners and branching-off hallways. Chills crept up her spine as she tiptoed along, starting at every sound that reached her ears. She dared not even call out for the one who had claimed her heart from the very day she had first seen him, in a pickup mirror, apparently for her eyes alone. And she had loved him even more since then, her feelings even doubling when she saw him in distress on Hercuron. How she wished she could be with him, or if it was their jobs keeping them apart, she at least wanted some explanation!  
  
*It can never be*, the logical part of her mind insisted. *Remember his words to you? 'I go where I am needed, and stay for as long as I am needed?' What reason more had he to stay, after giving us new Zords and aiding us in defeating that monster?*  
  
But the other part of her brain, the one that did not contend much with logic, insisted on remembering what his message had told her on Hercuron: "Please, don't forget me. I'll see you soon."  
  
*What did he really *mean*?* her mind questioned, almost angrily. *Why was he trying to reassure me in particular? It seems so unlikely that he could actually mean he--*  
  
Only the tiniest part of her brain, a part she was barely aware, insisted that the message had meant he cared for her, and truly wanted her to know he felt that way. Her logical mind banishedthe thought instantly.  
  
A loud THUMP! startled her out of her thoughts, and she stifled a jump of surprise just in time. It sounded like a body hitting the floor, and a faint groan sounded like one of suppressed pain.  
  
*Phantom!* her mind shreiked, and she took off down the hall, no longer walking, but running at top speed.  
  
It did not take her long to find the corridor turned around a bend sharply, and she stopped just shy of turning. Faint shadows, plus loud growls, thumps, and ki-yuh's, told her she was just short of walking right into the middle of hand-to-hand combat. She drew in a deep breath and peeked around the corner, afraid of what she would see.  
  
****  
  
Astronema, her willowy back straight, and her long green hair being arrogantly tossed over her shoulders, paced the room, for a long time saying nothing, only holding the weapon in her hand, the light in the room catching on the glistening skull embedded in the top of the device, the perfect effect for causing chills to run up Ashley's spine.  
  
And she continued to pace, the echoing footsteps of her high heels getting louder and louder in Ashley's head, the rest of the room eerily silent, until Ashley almost screamed "Stop it!"  
  
Just as the hollow sound of Astronema's footsteps got as loud as the pounding of her blood in her ears, the woman paused. An evil grin crossed her face, and both hands clasped the ball in front of her.  
  
"Good," she laughed. "Just a little work-out before I really test this thing on you. I want to be in shape, and I want your minds in the proper shape, too. Now, to begin--" she waved her hand, and two more quantrons entered the room, bearing a struggling, almost-growling Johnathan.  
  
"I found him prowling around a little temporary hideout I had near the NASADA compound," she announced cooly. "Imagine my surprise when a hypnotizing spell revealed that he was your brother, Ashley. Though I might as well have some fun with him before I do away with him. It can get so...*boring* on the Dark Fortress at times, you know." Her lower lip pulled out in the epitome of a pout, then she grinned. "Toss him with the others. Did you find the Black Ranger yet?" she demanded of her henchmen.  
  
They said something in their unintelligible language and shook their heads, cowering when her face went dark with anger.  
  
"You idiots! Can't you get one thing right?! Find that kid before he gets off my station. I don't want him informing the others!" They hurriedly ducked their heads in acknowledgement and ran for the door.  
  
Astronema turned toward the group again, all traces of anger diappearing from her face and an almost sunny smile replacing it. "Now, where were we? Ah, yes, this little device here." She held up the Emotion Wrangler. "My, oh, my, Andros, you are just full of pain already, aren't you? I just thought Ecliptor was wrong in thinking you were no more than a fool in red tights, trying to fight for what could not be gained. But it seems *you*, my dear ranger, have plenty of negative emotions, and guilt. And whatever you were guilty for, I assure you it was your fault."  
  
Ashley watched in horror as Andros's eyes suddenly widened in terror, and then fill with pain and anguish. A shriek of pure emotional torture escaped his lips as he clutched his head, as if trying to block out sudden painful memories he did not want to be repeated. But repeated they were, and they never seemed so taunting, so full of pain, so obviously his *fault*, as they were then.  
  
"No..." he whimpered, sinking to his knees. "Please, no...."  
  
Astronema went on ruthlessly pounding shortcomings into his head. "Yes, Andros, it was *you*! You were the driving force behind your guilt, you caused your own pain by doing things you should not have done! You know you should have done the right thing, don't you? But no, like a fool, you did the *wrong* thing, caused you and who knows how many others pain you could probably have prevented, in the end." Astronema only lauged as he whimpered, tears filling his hazel eyes and rolling down his cheeks.  
  
"Leave him along!" Ashley cried, torn between wanting to run to Andros and pummel Astronema furiously for what she was doing to him. But Astronema was guarded, by Ecliptor and the quantron, so she only knelt beside Andros. "Andros, don't let her do this to you. You must fight it, please...."  
  
"Step away from him!" Astronema barked. "Okay, Ashley, your turn!" without blinking an eye, she released Andros from the effects of the Wrangler. He fell completely over onto the floor, not making a sound but sobbing his heart out nonetheless.  
  
The pain hit Ashley before she could take more than two steps. Like lightning, but much more quickly, the memories roared to the surface.  
  
*The crash right in front of her house, Clyde's bloody body, the paramedics shaking their heads--*  
  
"No! Clyde!" She shreiked, no longer aware of her surroundings.  
  
*I should have been there!* her incoherent mind cried. *If I had gone with him, like he had asked me to, he would never have touched that drink, he would never have impaled that empty car while under the influence of the first drink of his life! And his *last*!*  
  
*Yes, you should have stopped him!* her mind mocked her. *He deserved to live, and you do *not* deserve to live, because you let him die!*  
  
Andros watched, completely helpless, as Ashley sank to her knees, hunched over, face in her hands. The only words, "No, Clyde, no, it is my fault, I am sorry!" that seemed able to escape her lips were thick with torment. "Please, Clyde, forgive me...." He desperately wanted to go to her, to comfort her like he doubted he could ever be comforted, but he dared not move, could only watch numbly as tears continued to slip unheeded down his face.  
  
Finally, even Astronema seemed to tire of her torture. She released Ashley at last and turned back to Andros. "Your turn again. You are just a deep wellspring, pretty boy, and I want you to experience every last ounce of pain all over again...." Her laughter mocked him almost as much as the background laughter of the monsters on KO-35, that day that Zhane had given his life for Andros's.  
  
*No, Zhane, I should have stopped you, forgive me, my friend, forgive me!...*  
  
****  
  
The Phantom Ranger was under attack. Cassie felt her heart flip entirely in her chest as the two monsters he battled continually flipped him over the railing, or over a chair, or slammed him against a wall. Each time, more and more weakly, he would get back up and fight again. It was more than Cassie could stand.  
  
"Saellite Stunner!" Her weapon coalesced effortlessly in her hand, and before the monsters were aware of what had hit them, she had fired.  
  
"Whooooaaah!" they yelled as the bolts of energy fired from her weapon sent them flying. Cassie ignored them, and stumbled over to the one she loved. "Phantom Ranger? Are you okay?"  
  
"Cassie?" he gasped, trying to rise from where the monsters had hurled him. "What are you doing here? You are in grave danger lurking around here. Why did you come?"  
  
"Do you think for a minute I would let you stay here and face those goons alone? Forget it! I could never do that to you! I care about you too much!"  
  
The last sentence came out of her mouth before she could stop it. It caused the unexpected reaction of him stiffening.  
  
"Cassie...?" It seemed to be more of a question to himself than to her, but he reached up and lightly touched her helmet.  
  
"Awww, how cute," snarled one monster, who had managed to stumble to his feet. "Much as I'd like to see this little romantic scene play out, we have a job to do. So sorry, Missie, but you have to die."  
  
Cassie promptly turned on him, her weapon raised. "Not so fast, mister. Have you checked the status of your fleet of ships lately? Most are destroyed or disabled. My friends are finishing them off right now, even as we speak."  
  
One monster, with ugly blue...skin (if it could be called even that) flew a tentacle to his scanner and checked the readouts. "She's right. We are no match for her friends here, even if we did succeed in destroying these two. The others would be after us at this range."  
  
"And just what do you suggest we do about it, huh?" snarled the other monster, his seven eyes glittering with rage. "They are witnesses. We just can't leave them here."  
  
"That is true, but I still prefer to keep my own skin intact." The blue monster thought for a moment, pacing while his companion held his weapon raised at Cassie in a stand-off. "I just might have an idea...." he turned and whispered something neither Cassie nor the Phantom Ranger could hear.  
  
"Good idea!" the other exclaimed. He turned back to the two rangers, raising something in his palm. "How do they say it on your world? 'Say goodnight, Gracie'?"  
  
A moment later, Cassie felt blackness surround her as the device exploded.  
  
*Phantom Ranger...* was her last conscious thought.  
  
****  
  
Finally, when Andros was curled on the floor and even he had ceased shaking from her continual onslaught, Astronema turned the focus of the weapon off. Ashley could see his face, it was completely blank, only his eyes showed he was locked in some sort of strange void where the Emotion Wrangler had put him. When the spell released him, he slumped further, closed his eyes, and did not move.  
  
Though the memories of Clyde's deat still beat at her vision and her sense of guilt, her logical sense struggled for dominance, and she did her level best to ignore the tears streaming down her face and focus on Andros and Johnathan, who had been watching the whole scene, horrified but unable to do anything.  
  
"Come on, Andros!" She whispered fervrently in a low tone. "Come on, you have to beat this thing. Don't let it control you..."  
  
"...Ashely...?" It was barely a whisper, but enough so Ashley knew he had heard. "Hurts..."  
  
*It's okay!* she wanted to tell him. *Everything is going to be all right!* Though she wanted to say those words, to comfort him somehow, she knew that they would be false promises. Everything was *not* okay. Even if they could get free, it would still not be immediately all right. They would have a load of long-suppressed pain and guilt to deal with all over again, only much more so....and it was all Ashley could do even now to fight down the barrage of emotion deep into her psyche. Now was not the time. They had to do something, and now.  
  
Astronema had been watching them, a satisfied smile on her face as she watched two of the trio struggle for sanity. "Ashley, my dear yellow ranger. Your turn again, I'm afraid." She pretended to pout for a moment before focusing the Wrangler on her again. Ashley shreiked as the pain crashed forward again. She fell to the floor.  
  
"How about something new? Even better than memories, when the whole thing is live?" Astronema jeered. "How about if I destroy your brother here, Ashley? Won't that be fun, a little more...no, a lot more...pain that you could enjoy, since you would be powerless to stop it...again?" With that malicious grin, she stepped mockingly toward Johnathan, who stiffened in a yeah-you-just-try-it! posture.  
  
Something inside Ashley snapped. The thought of losing her other beloved twin was more than she could stand, and unbeknownst to Astronema, she felt herself surged with a new strength. Suddenly, she understood the Emotional Wrangler's weakness. It fed on memories, negative emotions, and the like. It rejected love, and gave the victim an advantage as a result. This was something Astronema either did not know about, or had forgotten about, for the control the device had over Ashley snapped.  
  
For a split second, she did not move, her frayed brain trying to gather it's bits of sanity and figure out what to do. It came to her again that Astronema would hurt her brother, and pure instinct bolted through her limbs, causing her to growl and tear at the woman with a visciousness she never thought she had in her. She crashed into Astronema, heedless of her own safety.  
  
****  
  
Astronema went sprawling onto the ground, the Wrangler falling out of her gloved hand and rolling away. She looked stunned for a moment as Ashley jerked away from her as if she'd been burned.  
  
Ecliptor advanced on her, his hand going for the weapon at his waist. Johnathan, who had already been tense, saw his opprotunity and leaped on him, knocking him away from his sister. "Leave her alone, you sick...." he growled, kicking his sword away.  
  
The commotion had even caught the attention of Andros, bringing him out of his foggy, warp-filled world. He shook his head, trying to clear the fog from it and push the memories away, trying to see what was really going on. He was dizzy and things were a bit blurry, but he saw enough to know Ashley was in trouble, as well as her brother.  
  
The quantron, who had been pressed against a wall in a decidedly cowardly fashion, saw him struggling to rise and came over, saying something in his unintelligible language that probably meant something along the lines of "don't move."  
  
Andros took a deep breath, squelching the nausea that roared in his stomach at the lingering visions that still danced in front of his eyes. Forcefully locking the guilt behind a temporary barrier to be dealt with later, he growled and pounced on the quantron, sending it skidding across the floor. He had to get to Ashley, his love and fear for her growing as he saw her grappling with Astronema over control of the woman's spear.  
  
Having pressed all other thoughts back down, another thought loomed as he crossed the room, finally hitting him in the face and with a force he could not deny.  
  
*I love her.* It was that simple. And it did not hit him with the surprise he somehow expected to feel, but it could have been because his emotions were in such turmoil already. *I love her, and I must help her, before I lose her!*  
  
Somehow Johnathan had managed to get Ecliptor's sword from him, and had backed the guy out of the room. Instinctively, he stood guard as Andros grabbed Astronema from behind, releasing her grip on the spear. It promptly disappeared.  
  
Ashley shot him a grateful glance and dove toward the Wrangler, still rolling around the room. Not bothering to hide her rage at what the device had done to her and Andros, she slammed it against a wall, shattering it to dust.  
  
She then stalked over to the wall panel, examining it as Andros held Astronema immoble. She still held the metal skull that had been embedded in the top of the Wrangler in her hand, and she crashed it against the security protocol matrix, causing sparks to fly and rendering the rest of the device safe for use.  
  
She turned back to Johnathan. "First thing's first, Johnathan. We have to get you out of here. You don't have a morpher, and I don't want you hurt." she looked at him with tear filled eyes. "But I still owe you a big thank- you, nonetheless.  
  
"We both do," whispered Andros, holding a struggling Astronema down. "Th- thank you, Johnathan. Ashley, get him out of here before he *does* get hurt. Right now...I don't want to take that chance."  
  
Ashley nodded, setting the controls for teleportation before returning her brother's gaze again. "Goodbye, Johnathan," she whispered. "I hope it won't be too long before we see each other again."  
  
His eyes widened and filled with tears. Ashley knew what memories he was suddenly seeing behind his brown gaze. "You keep yourself safe, Ashley Hammond," he answered gruffly. "I won't have history repeat itself."  
  
She ran over and hugged him. "Never!" she exclaimed fervrently. "Never!"  
  
She released him and walked back over to the panel, hitting the button to teleport. "I'll see you soon, Johnathan Hammond, I promise," she whispered just before he dissappeared.  
  
She turned to Andros. The door was open, so there was no reason they could not leave and find someplace to reactivate their morphers and own teleportation systems. "Let her go. We can't take her with us, but we have to get out of here, and see if Carlos got out of here yet. Come on!"  
  
Andros obeyed her, shoving Astronema hard enough against the wall so that she was stunned, and taking Ashley's hand, they flew out of the room and into the corridor. Passing voyurisms of Quantrons were too surprised to react as they flew past.  
  
"There is a sensor and control area ahead," he called behind him. "We can find out what happened to Carlos there, and maybe teleport." The flatness of his voice told Ashley how drained he was, he was running on autopilot, like she was. As soon as danger ceased, things were sure to come back and haunt them all over again...  
  
Either Astronema was still stunned, or the quantrons around were very lax, but they made it to the control room uninhibited. Andros ran to a console and tapped on it.  
  
"Carlos made it off," he announced a moment later. "It says here he teleported out and directly to the Megaship, where it is in space with the pyramidas...."  
  
He tapped a few more buttons, and a familiar buzz sounded, almost gratefully, from Ashley's wrist as her morpher buzzed to life.  
  
"Let's get out of here," she whispered fervrently. "I don't even care where anymore!"  
  
"They blocked a direct route to the Megaship!" Andros hissed. Ashley knew he was near the breaking point--again. Ashley sighed in frustration, coming around and leaning over his shoulder. She tapped in a teleporation sequence that would take them anywhere she visualized--anywhere but here. But as the teleporter took effect, the only place she could call to her mind was the treehouse she and her brothers had built for themselves as children.  
  
"What is this place?" asked Andros gruffly, getting his bearings.  
  
"The only place that could come to my mind," she whispered. "This is the treehouse my twin brothers and I built as children."  
  
"Brothers? I thought there was only Johnathan." his voice went even lower, as if trying to stave off something that was trying to take ahold of him again.  
  
Ashley could not believe he had noticed, until she remebered how she had acted on the Fortress. "No, there--there was Clyde, also, my other twin-- unitl--" she nearly choked. "Until he was killed in an accident!"  
  
It was too much, and the memories came flooding back again to haunt her. If she had thought she had already cried herself dry, she was dead wrong. Tears flooded her eyes and again flowed down her face. She turned a tortured gaze toward Andros. "He asked me to go with him! I said no! If I had gone, then he would not have tried the first alcoholic drink of his life--and his last! *I* should be dead, not him!"  
  
"No, Ashley, no." Before he knew what he was doing, he was over there and had his arms around her. "Please don't cry, Ashley, please don't..."  
  
"But it *is* my fault," she insisted. "Not like you, you were a kid when Kerone was kidnapped! How could you stop Darkonda from taking her? A little kid against a big ugly monster?"  
  
"I *could* have done something, I *should* have done something, besides stand there and call her name," he whispered, not noticing the tears stealing down his face. "Ashley, why did I not even try, when I had the chance?"  
  
His grip on her tightened, and she drew his head to her shoulder. They could do no more, only clinging desperately to each other as, in the privacy of the treehouse, they got their chance to sob out their anger and hurt, which was the best thing they could have done.  
  
****  
  
"Andros and Ashley are *WHAT?*" demanded TJ, staring at Carlos in astonishment. "Are you *sure* there was no other way for them to get free?"  
  
Carlos shook his head, glancing first from TJ and then to Trey. "No, I was in the best position at the time to get out of there and find a way to tell you. And now with Cassie missing also--" Carlos shuddered. "Astronema will turn the weapon on them if she gets the chance, I am sure of it. I don't know what Ashley has been through, but when I first met her ten months ago she was recovering emotionally from some big disaster in her life she never told me of. And Andros, a person would have to be totally blind to see the guilt he suffers over Kerone. It could be bad for both of them if Astronema..." He trailed off.  
  
"Kerone?" Echoed Trey.  
  
"Andros's sister. Something we only found out recently, because he did not bother to tell us." Sighed TJ.  
  
"Would you make it a habit of telling everyone you met you had a younger sister who had been kidnapped when you were both little children?" asked Carlos. "He feels guilty because he could not do anything."  
  
TJ did not miss the look of shocked surprise that crossed Trey's face, followed in quick succession by guilt, pain, anger, then coldness.  
  
"And who could blame him?" the Lord of Triforia asked. "It would be very hard to talk about. Most would keep quiet about it."  
  
"Yeah, maybe I would, too, but I would not turn to an icecicle because of it," said TJ glumly. "And that is exactly how Andros treats us."  
  
Trey said nothing more on the subject, but both Carlos and TJ got the feeling, as he started scanning again for Cassie, that there was much more to his reaction than met the eyes....  
  
****  
  
Ashley did not know how long they sat there, clinging to each other and sobbing their hearts out in peace, but after what seemed an eternity, their tears slowed. Ashley felt her own tears stop as Andros stopped quivering. She was thourougly exhausted, but felt much better. After this, it would be easier to deal with her pain.  
  
"Ashley?" It was so soft she barely heard it. "Are--are you okay?"  
  
"Yeah," she mumbled. "And you?"  
  
"I guess so..." he finally loosened his grip on her, and pulled back enough for her to see his face, as tear-soaked as her own. His hazel eyes met hers. "Ashley...."  
  
Any response she might have had died in her throat as his eyes bored into her very soul. Instantly, she was aware of his strong arms around her, the way his pupils were dialated, the sudden longing she saw in the greenish depths of his gaze--  
  
What she saw still did not quite prepare her for his leaning closer, and surprise momentarily registered as, very softly, his mouth pressed against hers.  
  
His own actions seemed to freeze him also, and he pulled back again. "Ashley?" he asked, his eyes searching for any signs of disapproval. Instead, what he saw in her brown depths mirrored his desperate longing.  
  
"Andros..." it was more of a plea than anything else. His eyes stayed on hers as he leaned over again and let his mouth cover hers. A moment later, she relaxed against him, her eyes closing and her arms creeping up around his neck.  
  
The feel of her lips against his stole the last of any resolve he may have had, and he shuddered slightly. His eyes closed also, and his arms went around her as a slow fire began to pulse through his blood. Electricity rocketed through him when her lips opened beneath his own and her tongue sought entry into his mouth. Soon, he was kissing her so hard, and with so much pent-up passion, they were both completely dizzy and very nearly out of control. So much emotion demanded release it was very difficult to do anything but.  
  
In the end, only lack of air forced his lips off of hers. She drew away slightly, gasping, the sheer wonderment and desire in her eyes also showing a question.  
  
"Andros?" she asked softly. "Why?"  
  
"Because I love you." His grip on her tightened again. "Gods, Ashley, I am tired of fighting this. I have loved you since I first met you. It was...my isolation, my pride, that kept me from realizing how much you meant to me...and your friends, too."  
  
"'Our friends'." she corrected. She suddenly hugged him, hard. "Oh, Andros....I have wanted you to say that for so long...I love you too. I thought you only saw me as a jumpy nusiance."  
  
"I thought I *did*." he admitted softly. "I thought you all were...only recently did I begin to realize that I was wrong. I am sorry, Ashley."  
  
"It's okay." she hugged him fervrently. "It is not too late to change all that, Andros, if you want to."  
  
"I guess I do want to," he admitted, hugging her back. "I don't want you to think badly of me, Ash. But I...may need your help."  
  
"Anything," she promised, kissing him again, breifly. "Come on, we had better go. They are probably worried sick about us by now. We could probably teleport to the Megaship from here."  
  
He nodded, glancing at his morpher. "Maybe we should have gone earlier, but I was too...distracted. We would have both shown up emotional wreaks, crying all over the place."  
  
She gave him a faint smile. "We probably both still are, in a way. One fit of crying can't solve all that, but," she gave it some thought. "I do feel a lot better able to deal with it."  
  
"Me, too," he assured her. He hugged her quickly. "Especially with you here." He released her and reached for his teleporter. "Let's go."  
  
****  
  
They appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, on the bridge of the Megaship. The Astro-Zeo Ultrazord had long since disengaged, and it quite shocked TJ, Carlos, and Trey when they teleported in unexpectedly.  
  
"Ashley? Andros?" asked Carlos in astonishment, bounding over in a second. "Are you *okay*? What happened to you?" he stopped and looked hard at them, not missing their red eyes, flushed faces, and circles beneath their eyes, all signs of suffering. "She...got you with that thing, didn't she?" he asked, voice deadly quiet.  
  
Ashley and Andros looked at each other, knowing it would be impossible to hide what had happened. They looked back at the group and slowly nodded.  
  
"*Damn*!" hissed Carlos. "How did you ever escape? And with your sanity intact."  
  
Ashley bit her lip. "We almost did not. I don't want to talk about it." The pain that flashed in her eyes stilled his questions.  
  
He nodded slowly. "Cassie is missing, guys. She went over to the Phantom Ranger's ship, and a little while later, they both vanished. I don't know where they are. Possibly another dimesion. We have been running scans. Until we get some hint of what happened, we can only do this."  
  
Andros only nodded, staring off at the viewscreen.  
  
Andros and Ashley were back. Now their main objective was to find the last missing ranger.  
  
****  
  
*Where am I?* The roar in Cassie's ears was so loud that even this thought was almost unheard by her mind, which had generated it in the first place. She was so stiff she could not move, not even to open her eyes. *How did I get here....*  
  
With a startling flash of intense clarity, memory came flooding back to her mind. Going over to Phantom's ship. The corridor. The fight. The alien flinging something at her...  
  
*Phantom!* with a new sense of purpose, Cassie struggled to open her eyes, this time succeeding, though the place in which she found herself was dim, and was made worse by her blurry vision. She moaned softly and struggled to sit up, rubbing at her eyes.  
  
Her vision finally cleared, and she looked about her in alarm, trying to find the familiar armor-clad figure she had come to love with all her soul. But to her intense surprise, he was nowhere to be seen. But what she did see almost made up for it, if her astonished mind could register it as real.  
  
A boy lay slumped against the wall, clearly unconscious. He bore little resemblence to the person she knew only as a shadow, but the ruby around his neck told her surprised mind clearly who this was...and he was unmorphed.  
  
Cassie was unable to do anything but stare. This was the fist time she had ever seen him like this, and a part of her wanted to commit this form to memory while it lasted.  
  
He had black hair. Astonishing black hair, so black it had bluish highlights. It was short and straight, the front forelocks falling charmingly on his forehead. His features were well-formed, chisled, with a strong jaw, straight nose, and high forehead. His lips were well-shaped, and had the appearance of fullness that would drive any woman insane with wanting for him. A strongly-built body was obvious underneath a sleeveless tunic and black pants.  
  
In short, he was impeccably handsome.  
  
As she absorbed these features, another thought came to light. He was surely going to be upset if he came to and found himself demorphed, when it had often been obvious he did not want to be seen. She had no idea what to say to him when he awoke and found himself as exposed to her gaze as she had often been to his when she was demorphed.  
  
It also registered to Cassie that she was also unmorphed. Groping for her morpher, she tried to make it work, and found something blocking the signal. She looked around her, finding herself in a sort of cave. The walls were stone and the floor beneath her felt worse than cement.  
  
*Ow,* she thought. *No wonder I was so stiff, lying on that.*  
  
She got stiffly to her feet and made her way over to the other occupant of the room. She had to find some way out of here, and she would not be able to do it alone.  
  
Kneeling beside him, she found herself unsure of how to begin. "Phantom," she called softly. He moaned quietly in response, and moved his head slightly, then was still again. Cassie frowned, frustrated. Gently laying a hand on his shoulder, she shook it, saying fervrently, "Phantom? Can you hear me?"  
  
His brow furrowed, and another soft moan came from his lips before it formed coherent words. "Cassie? Is that you?"  
  
"Yes. Are you okay?"  
  
"I am well." It was what seemed to be his standard reply as his eyes fluttered open, and Cassie found herself looking at the most dazzling green eyes she had ever seen. Those deep eyes met her own, widening as he seemed to be realizing something. He looked quickly down at himself, then back at her.  
  
"I am...unmorphed?" he asked quietly. She nodded, her eyes meeting his again. "You must have when that alien threw that device...is that so terrible?"  
  
"It depends on your viewpoint," he whispered, as though unused to talking too much to people. "For most, it can be dangerous."  
  
"I don't see anything wrong with you," she observed.  
  
"My job is dangerous, Cassie," he told her, his eyes imploring her to understand. "I am this way because I must be, until the need for my fighting has ceased. To know my identity would be dangerous for you or your friends." It surprised her when one of his hands came up and lightly touched her chin. "Especially you."  
  
Her eyes went wide. Surely her mind was playing tricks on her, surely what she saw in her eyes was only imagined. "Why me?" she asked, having no idea that her eyes were revealing to him what he also secretly wanted to see, but never dared ask. Those dazzling green eyes went wide themselves, and filled with a tenderness that made her ache all over.  
  
"Because I love you," he said simply. "Since I first saw you, I could not deny what I knew was true--and I could not let you get hurt for the same reason. Plus, I did not know how you felt about me."  
  
"How could you not?" she asked softly. "I love you...but you always were leaving before we had a chance to talk."  
  
"I know now," he said quietly. "I can see it in your eyes. But being this close to you and not doing anything, Cassie....it is really, really hard. And every moment I am this close to you also increases your danger."  
  
"I don't care," she whispered fervrently. "I can keep a secret, Phantom. But I need you to trust me."  
  
"I do, believe me." his voice sounded choked. "The danger is so great to you, Cassie, but you are weakening my resolve to *never* place you in danger."  
  
He was stroking her hair lightly, now, and she could see the longing in his eyes. It matched hers. "Then get rid of it."  
  
"Cassie..." it was almost a groan. "This is your last chance to turn back from *your* resolve and possibly save us both a lot of trouble.  
  
"Maybe trouble," she insisted stubbornly. "But not the pain. I love you, Phantom, and not knowing was much, much worse. Don't put me through that again, please! If I have to accept you between missions only, if I have to be the only one who knows your identity, then so be it."  
  
His eyes widened as she presented him with a clear, though dangerous, alternative, and he knew he could not talk her down from it. And it would tear his own heart out to refuse her, and he no longer had the strength to fight it.  
  
"Cassie..." it was a sheer moan as his hand found the way to the back of her neck, pulling her close. "Do you have any idea at all what you do to me?" Her faint smile was his answer as she leaned forward when he did, their lips scorching together in a firey candence.  
  
Cassie's world exploded in fire as his bare skin touched hers. If this *was* anything like what he claimed she did to him, then he had to be getting uncontrollable very quickly. *She* certainly was....  
  
At last, he released her, resting his forehead against hers, eyes closed.  
  
"Cassie," he whispered. "My beautiful Cassie. What do we do now?"  
  
"What do you want to do?" she asked.  
  
"What *can* be done?" he almost moaned. "I cannot live without you, I know. But I cannot be with you like you want, either. Not until my mission is complete. At best, we would still not see each other often."  
  
"It would be better than nothing at all," she insisted stubbornly.  
  
"I know. But the danger? There are plenty of people who want me dead, Cassie. I am not the only one of my group to be like I am. We all swore to keep our identities secret, except for those in our lives who had to know. It was the only way to keep them safe. Now that you have seen me....and that we know that we love each other...."  
  
"Phantom, what is your name?" Cassie asked quietly.  
  
He surprised himself by not even hesistating. "My given name is Tar'yn, of Eltare."  
  
"Tar'yn," she repeated. "I love you, Tar'yn."  
  
"And I you," he murmured. "Cassie, if we try this, you must never reveal my identity to anyone, not even your friends, if you could possibly help it. It would be too dangerous. Never even say to anyone *but* them that you even know my identity. I will try to come when I can, but I doubt if it would be very often."  
  
"If I have to have you between everything else you do, then so be it," she said quietly. "I can wait."  
  
"But for how long?" he turned sorrowful eyes toward her. "Do you even have any notion of how old I am, Cassie? I am over three melennia old. You are how old--eighteen?"  
  
She nodded.  
  
"I would live eons past your lifespan. There are ways I could extend it, but it would take time, and this part of the universe is in enough turmoil. By the time I got to you, you would be an old woman."  
  
She laughed outright. "Then I guess you do not know that our Astro powers do not let us age while we are connected to them," she assured him. "I will be fine for now, I assure you."  
  
"Oh, Cassie," he chuckled also, while she listened, captivated. It was a wonderful sound. He leaned forward again and kissed her. "Now, perhaps we should find a way out of here."  
  
****  
  
"Andros," TJ began carefully. "I *know* you went through an awful time, and I *know* you are upset. But could you please quit pacing before I get as upset as you are?"  
  
Andros whirled on him, eyes flashing. He was about to open his mouth to retort, when he stopped, swallowing.  
  
"I will try," he answered quietly, to everyone's surprise. "I...apologize, TJ, if I was bothering you that much."  
  
TJ gaped at him, then turned to Ashley. "I expect you would kill me if I asked if it was *that* bad," he said softly.  
  
Ashley, who had been slumped in her chair with her arms on the console, nodded, not looking at him. "It *was* that bad, Teej. How easy would you figure it would be to lose someone, to deal for a long time with the pain, and then have it torn to the front of your mind, and mock you with the details and guilt?" Tears had filled her eyes again. "She captured Johnathan too, and she was going to kill him in front of me, so I would face the pain of losing another brother by being unable to do anything!" she almost spat.  
  
Carlos sat down beside her, looking serious. "'Another brother'? Ash, I thought you only had one brother."  
  
She shook her head numbly, too worn out to hide it at the moment. "No, there were three of us. Clyde was my other twin. He was killed, a year ago, right in front of my eyes in a car accident...and there was nothing I could do." Ashley shook with the effort to control her feelings.  
  
"Was that the incident you referred to, but never specified on?" Carlos asked gently. She nodded. "I'm sorry, Ash. I did not know..."  
  
"It is all right," she assured him, trying to smile but barely succeeding. "The hardest part was trying to live without a third of my own soul. I could not bear to lose Johnathan too."  
  
"I doubt if I would be able to, either," said Carlos quietly. "You told me once that being a twin was hard. Being a triplet must have been even worse, when one of you did not return." As Ashley nodded, Carlos suddenly blushed and glanced at Trey, who surely must have heard the whole conversation.  
  
"Sorry, Trey, I guess that did not come out right. I know how your species is Trifold, after all..."  
  
"I am not insulted, I assure you," the boy said quickly, his dark eyes still not quite hiding the mysterious pain that seemed to be with him constantly. "The idea that Triforians are a joined race of triples is a common misconception. We are one, even when splintered. It is...difficult to explain."  
  
Calos did not press the issue. The Lord of Triforia had tried to deliberately steer him away from an unknown sensetive subject for him, and Carlos did not want to pry. But Trey had seemed affected by his and Ashley's talk about losing someone close. Why, he was not sure about.  
  
Ashley straightened. "I should call him, let him know I am okay. DECA, will you tap into our cellphone lines and connect us?"  
  
"Of course, Ashley." Even DECA seemed more subdued than usual. "Connecting now."  
  
A moment later, there was an audible buzz as Ashley's brother answered his cellphone. "Hello?"  
  
"Johnathan?" asked Ashley softly.  
  
"Ashley, is that you?" he exclaimed immediately. "Are you okay? Mom and I have been hopping with worry." his voice sounded strangled, almost.  
  
"We escaped, Johnathan. I am fine. I just had to let you know."  
  
"Fine physically, Ash, but what about mentally? It was bad enough to have to sit there and *watch* that crazy woman torture you and Andros. What did it do to your *mind*?"  
  
"I can handle it, Johnathan. I can't talk long, we are searching for Cassie. I will try to be home soon."  
  
"I hope so. Mom hates you being a Power Ranger, Sis. *Please* be careful. I love you."  
  
"I love you too, Johnathan," she said quietly. "I'll see you soon."  
  
She cut the link, leaning back in her chair and looking slightly sick. Carlos wanted to say something but did not press the issue. Andros looked at her also, coming out of the trance he had been in. Carlos had to swallow his surprise as he reached over and squeezed her arm gently. She gave him a grateful look in return.  
  
*I don't believe it,* his disbelieving mind told him. *Andros and Ashley...a couple?*  
  
****  
  
The whole cave shook as the Phantom Ranger and Cassie struggled to stay on their feet. She cried out and lost he footing, he caught her before she hit the floor.  
  
"What is happening?" she asked breathlessly.  
  
"I think our 'friends' have found us," he answered ruefully. "I also am getting the eerie feeling we are being watched. But not by them. A presence..."  
  
Cassie had felt something odd, too, but had been unable to place it. She had no time to contemplate it, however, as a bone-chilling voice called out, "Well, well, looky what we have here!"  
  
Another voice, just as chilling, said, "Yeah. Welcome to *our* domain, Power Rangers!"  
  
****  
  
*This *really* sucks.* thought Cassie, finding herself battling these two goons for the second time that day. *And we are unmorphed, too. Why haven't they destroyed us yet? They referred to this place as their home turf--though why even a *monster* would live here is beyond me.*  
  
It took awhile before the fact dawned on her that they were teasing her and Tar'yn. Probably getting the most out of them before they laid the final blow. It seemed to be the case, she was already very sore, and there was more than one scratch and bruise on her slender body--it would hurt to sit for awhile.  
  
*If I ever *sit* again, that is,* she mused, ducking a blow from the blue monster and kicking him in the ribs, elicting a howl of pain. *Why don't these jerks just *kill* us? Not that I want to die.*  
  
To her horror, she watched as one of the monsters, the one with the seven eyes, hit Tar'yn square in the solar plexus. He went down.  
  
"Phantom!" she cried, surprised she still had presence of mind enough to not use his real name, even here. She whacked the other monster again and ran to the fallen ranger. "Are you okay?" she asked, kneeling beside him, heedless of her own safety.  
  
"I will be okay," he wheezed. "It is *you* I am worried about, Cassie. Look out!"  
  
Before she could move, the blue monster had a strong arm around her, holding her immoble.  
  
"Do not move," he hissed. "Or I slit your throat right here." Obediently, she froze.  
  
"I am getting tired of this. We've had our fun," he sneered to his companion. "Let's just finish them off, shall we?"  
  
"Sure," the other shrugged. "But kill the girl first. Let loverboy here watch her die."  
  
The blue monster threw Cassie to the floor. Quite mercilessly, he drew a blaster and aimed it at Cassie's head.  
  
"No!" Tar'yn crashed into him, knocking him away. "You lousy freaks leave her alone!"  
  
The other monster ran to them, trying to knock the Phantom Ranger away, but they underestimated the man's strength. It became even worse when Cassie also pounced into the fray.  
  
"Enough of this!" the blue monster snarled at last. He drew his blaster again, and with an unsteady aim, shot and hit Cassie. His aim was off, though he hit her square in the midsection. She groaned, and crumpled to the floor, trembling, before she lay still.  
  
"No!" cried Tar'yn. With a burst of inner strenght, he managed to jerk loose and crash the heads of both monsters together, stunning them. He ran over to Cassie, turning her over. "Cassie, wake up, please!" he pleaded softly. "Don't do this to me!"  
  
She moaned, her eyes barely fluttering open. She was alive, but gravely hurt, possibly fatally. "Phantom....." she choked. "Forget about me. Destroy these goons and get out of here somehow. You must save yourself."  
  
"Would I do that to you?" he demanded with a mixture of love, anger, and pain. "No, Cassie, I will get you out of here, I promise you. Please, hold on."  
  
"How touching," sneered the blue monster, regaining his equilibrium. "I am thoroughly moved."  
  
Not bothering to suppress a snarl, Tar'yn leaped at him. He tackled him, effectively pinning him to the floor. "Give me one good reason why I should not kill you here and now," he snarled.  
  
"Kill me," was the raspy reply, "And your girlfriend dies." The other monster nad struggled to his feet, drawing his own blaster and aiming it at Cassie, who was barely conscious and unable to defend herself in the least.  
  
Tar'yn slowly released his grip on the blue monster. He struggled to his feet.  
  
"Thank you," he growled, then made a signal to his pal. "You are a fool to trust me, you know." The other monster fired at Cassie again, hitting her again in the abdomen. She moaned and crumpled into a ball. The damage was not visibal externally, but Tar'yn knew what kind of internal damage could be wrought by one of those devices. One shot could be survived if the victim got prompt medical attention.  
  
Two shots were almost always fatal.  
  
For a split second, Tar'yn could only stand in frozen horror. Suddenly, thunder roared throug the cave, and before anyone knew what was happening, a bolt of lightning came out of nowhere,hitting the blue monster. He yelled in pain before a crimson glow surrounded him, and he vaporized with a blast of searing heat, leaving no trace.  
  
The other monster had stood up in alarm, getting ready to bolt. Another wave of lightning struck him before he took more than a step, and he vaporized in a scream of agony.  
  
The attack stopped as suddenly as it had begun. Only eerie silence filled the room.  
  
Rapidly getting his bearings, Tar'yn scrambled over to where Cassie lay. He could not believe she was still conscious, though he had a feeling it was not for long.  
  
"Cassie, please hold on. You will be all right," he whispered, gathering her close and holding her hand.  
  
Those eyes focused on him. Those eyes, that often glittered with laughter, turned distant with her dreams, or looked at him with sweet yearning now took on a serious, resolute look. "I am dying, Tar'yn." she said softly, her breath wheezy. "You must not deny it. All I can do is apologize, and ask you not to forget me."  
  
"Don't talk like that," he whispered, tears of agony filling his eyes. "Cassie, l love you. You will make it."  
  
He was somewhat taken aback by what she whispered next. "Kiss me, Tar'yn."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Kiss me." He could do little more than obligate her,leaning down and pressing his lips to hers gently. He shook as she faintly responded, her sweet lips parting to meld with his. When he lifted his mouth from hers, she gave him a last, longing look. "Don't forget me..."  
  
He could only watch, paralyzed, as her dark eyes fluttered closed. She went completely limp in his arms, sinking into a coma from the type few ever woke up from.  
  
Pain slammed him, hard. "No! Oh, Cassie!" He did not care that tears filled his eyes and ran unashamedly down his face. Cassie was almost gone. And most of him was dying right along with her, leaving a shell that was not worth salvaging. Shaking hard, he buried his face in her limp shoulder, her sweater soaking his tears as he rocked with the pain of loss.  
  
The voice almost make him jerk in surprise. "Do not despair, Phantom Ranger. I might be able to help you."  
  
Rapidly swallowing his surprise, he eased Cassie back down and scrubbed at his face. "Who are you?" he asked.  
  
The soft femenine voice continued, "I am the spirit of this cave. You were teleported here from another dimension. I watched you for some time, you and the two who were persuing you. I destroyed them because they were evil."  
  
"Thank you, but can you help Cassie?" he choked miserably.  
  
"It is a possiblity." There was a pause. "Her love for you is quite strong. And so is hers for you. There may be one way to save her, but it is dangerous."  
  
"What? I will do anything." he was swift to assure her.  
  
"I can cast a spell that will test the pureness of your hearts, and of your love for each other. It is dangerous because if the spell does not find your hearts as pure as it decrees, then you will both perish. I am a good fairy spirit, and it is the only way I am permitted to try this, I am sorry."  
  
"If it destroys me, so what?" he mumbled. "Life without Cassie in it on *any* level is not worth it."  
  
"So be it," said the voice. "Close your eyes and concentrate on your love. Picture it as a bond between you two, strong and unceasing."  
  
Tar'yn gathered Cassie close, drawing in a quivering breath as he closed his eyes. *One way or the other, Cassie, I will be with you soon,* he promised fervrently.  
  
Suddenly, the strangest feeling flooded him, and he felt Cassie's spirit reach out and touch his with an intensity he had never before experienced. Willingly, he reached oout with his own spirit, feeling electricity bolt down his spine as their souls seemed to meld together to form one, a strong bond that could never be broken, even in death. It was the most beautiful thing he had ever experienced, and he never wanted it to end.  
  
Eventually, though, the glow did fade, and once more, he found himself on the stone floor, with the feeling of Cassie's body in his arms.  
  
*I don't *feel* dead," he realized, opening his eyes. He looked down to find Cassie still in his arms, but there was no visible sign of injury at all now. Not even the scratches and bruises she had suffered earlier. His own physical pain was gone.  
  
His own heart caught in his throat as she stirred, her eyes fluttering open as she smiled at him. It was more important to him than even the sound of her morpher buzzing to life.  
  
****  
  
Andros may have long since ceased pacing, but it was replaced by Ashley soon after. TJ only sighed and shook his head in exapsperation. Whatever it was that they had gone through, They might act somewhat *weird* for awhile until they could deal with the mental onslaught they had suffered.  
  
Trey had not spoken for the past hour, either conducting scans or staring vacantly at the screen while the computer was busy. Occasionally, TJ's thoughts returned to him, but he could not bring himself to ask what was tormenting the young Lord of Triforia so badly.  
  
**Way* too many people on this ship are in need of a good therapist,* he thought at one point. *I guess Ashley and Andros were lucky they did not come back ready for the looney bin. As for Trey, well, I don't know much about Trifiorians as it is...Come on, Cassie, where *are* you, already?*  
  
"Approaching teleportation," announced DECA suddenly. "Please lower shields."  
  
"Do it!" barked TJ, crossing his fingers.  
  
"Sheilds lowering," obliged DECA, and a moment later, two forms swirled in on pink and Black teleportation signals. Cassie and the Phantom Ranger (morphed, of course) materialized in the room, Cassie giving a grin at the shocked delight of her friends.  
  
"Cassie!" squealed Ashley, the haunted look leaving her eyes as she bounded out of her chair and into her best friends's arms.  
  
"Hey, Ash!" she said cheerily. "Miss me?"  
  
"Where have you *been*?" exclaimed Carlos. "You went over to his ship, they tell me, then *blip*, you vanish."  
  
"We were attacked," sighed Cassie, as Ashley let go of her. "These two creeps from that fleet we destroyed were on Phantom's ship, trying to attack him personally when I found him. They transported us into a small dimension. They attacked there....boy, it is a long story."  
  
"It appears we will have plenty of time," said TJ. "These guys are sneaky, and they could still have something planned beyond the fleet. We will need to keep an eye out for a day or so."  
  
Anshley, without realizing it, was clutching the peace-sign-locket she was still wearing again. "Just don't ask me to repeat what happened," she said softly. "I am not sure I could bear to repeat it. As a matter of fact, don't ask Andros, either." Andros nodded, agreeing fully.  
  
Cassie looked hard at Ashley's fumbling hand. "Hey, Ash, how come I never saw you wear that before? What *is* that?"  
  
Ashley looked down, then dropped her hand, blushing. "It belonged to Clyde, my other brother, before he died. I don't wear it much, but this is the first anniversary of his death."  
  
"Clyde? The other brother Johnathan told me about?" asked Cassie. "Ouch."  
  
"He told you?"  
  
"Yeah. He figured I would find out sooner or later anyway. It's a cute pendant, by the way."  
  
"It's not a pendant, it's a locket." Blushing again, Ashley undid the tiny clasp that held it shut. Inside was a tiny picture of the Hammond siblings.  
  
"That is cute," Cassie remarked.  
  
"Johnathan has one like it. I thought the peace sign was dumb, so I did not get one. But they both changed the picture every year. This was the last one, before..." she shook her head.  
  
"So it has the same purpose as the one Andros wears?" asked TJ thoughtfully.  
  
Andros also blushed. "Yeah. But I wear mine all the time. It contains my only clues to Kerone. And it is my only chance to find her."  
  
Ashley spoke up then. "Then don't sit up every night torturing yourself by watching the data disk of her kindapping. Listening to her scream and burying your face in your hands won't help you find her."  
  
Andros looked at her, surprised, eyes glittering with unshed tears. "All right, how many of the *rest* of you know what I do when I am alone?"  
  
Everyone but the Phantom Ranger and Trey exchanged glances, guilty flushes showing the telltale guilt. "We thought you knew that we all knew about that," admitted TJ. "All of us at least once has walked in on you scanning for Kerone. You were so intent on your work you did not notice us."  
  
Andros shook his head and laid it in his hand for a moment. "I never gave up hope that I would find her," he admitted. "But I am beginning to lose that hope I have clung to for so long."  
  
Everyone was surprised at who spoke up next. "Don't ever give up that hope, Andros," said Trey quietly. "As long as there is a shred of hope left, cling to it with all your might. Trust me, if it is one thing that this universe depends on, it is hope." The flash of pain behind his eyes said that there was more to his words than met the eye.  
  
"Indeed," chimed in the Phantom Ranger. "Hope may become real when you least expect it, and bring you more than you ever thought possible." It was not lost on those who saw Cassie turn and give him her brightest smile.  
  
For the first time, Andros's lips quirked and turned up at the corners. "Do you really think so?"  
  
"I know so," answered Phantom firmly.  
  
****  
  
The time had come for the Lightstar Rangers and Trey to say goodbye. No other sign of the enemy had been detected, so their mission was complete.  
  
"Swing by Earth any time," said TJ cheerfully as they clasped hands and shook them. "Sample the local fare. Tacos and burgers are the best items around."  
  
"My people are vegetarians," said Trey, smiling this time. "But thank you, just the same. Myabe someday soon, you will see me again."  
  
They had no idea how much that prophecy would come true, but that was not on anybody's mind when Cassie made her way to him. "See you later, then, Trey," she grinned as they clasped hands. Her smile was mischevious, however. "By the way, I got you a little something, to remember us all by." Into his surprised hand she dropped something that, when it sank into their minds, made all of them, even Trey, burst out laughing.  
  
It was a small statue of a little golden dog. 


	2. Distant Hope, story 2

Legal Disclaimer: Who knows who owns Power Rangers nowadays? It keeps changing hands.....but whomever does at the moment has my thanks. Story number 2 in my From The Stars series. Read the first one is my advice so you knows what this is about. Also, in my vocabulary, "violet" translates into "purple," not "blue". A Crayola purple crayon is labeled violet, right?  
  
As a special treat, this story has had some revamping done to it! Certain scenes and passages have either been added to or rewritten, something I'd been wanting to do for a long time. So I went ahead and did it. I hope you enjoy how it looks now. It sounds a lot better to *me*.  
  
Acknowledgements: Big thanks go to Starhawk, who generously allowed me to use her 'color withdrawl' concept for this series, and big thanks also go to Cinders, for being a pal, and Mouse, for hosting my stories on her site when all other sites have gone down, and to Cynthia who managed to hold them for so long before being forced to shut her site down. I haven't forgotten you, any of you!  
  
Distant Hope By ZeoViolet Teaser: A strange girl with an even *stranger* past, with powers to defy the imagination...and especially Carlos is captivated by her.  
  
*Yet another battle won,* mused TJ, turning in his chair to stare out at the stars streaking through space, thanks to the hyperush effect. *This is beginning to get really *old*. Why doesn't Astronema just let up?*  
  
HIs dark eyes left the dazzling effects of hyperush to focus on the other members of the team. Ashley was sitting in her chair, slumped forward, with her arms on the console and her head on top of them. Usually, she was addicted to the stars-in-hyperush phenomenon, but recently, a new fancy had her attention diverted. That dreamy brown gaze was turned from the stars, and was now fixed on Andros, instead.  
  
Andros was pretending to be busy tapping in something on a wall panel, but it was clear he was perfecty aware of Ashley watching him. There was faint color in his face, and a small smile, rather new on a boy like Andros, played about his well-formed lips. Once or twice, he even turned his head to make eye contact with her, flashing her a real smile that, until recently, no one had ever seen on him. Whatever had happened between Ashely and Andros after the Emotion Wrangler's effect on them, it had done wonders.  
  
*He is no longer so cold,* TJ mused silently. *And he can actually act friendly. Ashley, whatever you did to him, *thank you*.*  
  
His gaze left the lovesick pair making puppy-dog eyes at each other, and continued to roam across the room. Cassie was in her chair, keeping an eye on readouts, or, at least, she *appeared* to be doing that. Her eyes were glassy, no doubt she was thinking about the shadow that had haunted her life since their Turbo days, the phantom who had claimed her heart from the first.  
  
*I cannot believe she actually knows his identity,* TJ thought. *And she won't tell us, either.* It had taken her a week to even admit that she knew, and Ashley had barely managed to wrangle the information out of her that she was planning to meet him secretly every now and then. Otherwise, Cassie had said not a single word on the matter.  
  
Finally, Carlos was doing nothing in particular, sitting in a nearby chair, staring at a blank console. For Carlos, he was unusually quiet.  
  
*He's been quiet ever since Ashley hooked up with Andros,* TJ realized. Only TJ, of all of them, knew that the Black Ranger had once had an interest in the Yellow Ranger. It had long since faded, but TJ knew that Carlos often wondered if he had not made a mistake by not telling Ashley about his feelings in the first place. Now, of course, it was by far too late.  
  
*Carlos,* TJ thought, turning his gaze back to the stars, *Once we get back to Earth, I am finding you a date, buddy. It's high time you had one, anyway. Ashley is out of the question, and Katya and Andri are *long* gone. Time to find new pickings.* He had to stifle a chuckle. Not prone to thoughts like that himself, he knew if Cassie had heard him say it, she would subject him to a three-hour lecture on male/female equality (or female superiority, depending on her mood) *before* she wrangled his neck.  
  
*Nah, Carlos,* he thought. *We just need to find a girl who won't two-time you and truly understands and accepts you for who you are. *And* will accept the idea you will be disappearing into deep space an awful lot. Heck, maybe some alien girl will pick you up, like Ashley did to Andros....* Of course, Andros was human, but he *was* from space, and that was close enough to alien for TJ.  
  
*Speaking of aliens,* TJ thought, his mind wandering back two weeks to the young alien Lord of another planet, who had helped them in time of need. TJ was not sure why, but there was *something* about Trey that made him certian that they had not seen the last of the Triforian, not by a long shot.  
  
*Maybe it is because he acted sort of strange, just like Tommy told me about,* TJ thought, stifling an urge to shrug. *Tommy is right. Trey is in pain for a reason, but he never elaborated. Alpha called us away first.* TJ closed his eyes, his mind taking him back to that conversation...  
  
*Flash*  
  
"Ready for another history lesson, Teej?" called Tommy cheerily as they worked on racecars at the track.  
  
The Red Turbo Ranger nodded. "Yeah. Have you ever heard of the Phantom Ranger? He is a good fighter and all of that, but he refuses to show himself or stick around. Almost literally a ghost."  
  
Tommy paused, wrench in hand, looking thoughtful. "Nah. Zordon never mentioned him. But that does bring about the strangest feeling of deja vu, though. The Zeo Rangers went through sort of the same thing, once."  
  
"Really, how?" asked TJ, his interest sparked.  
  
"Did you ever hear of the Gold Ranger, TJ?"  
  
TJ thought a moment. "Well, sort of, I heard news reports about a strange new Ranger that had been sighted with the Zeo Rangers. He had a black-and- gold costume. But I thought the Gold Ranger was Jason."  
  
"He was, but it was only intended as temporary. The powers actually belong to an alien, a lord of another planet. His name was Trey."  
  
TJ, always in the mood for a good story, put down his screwdriver and sat on the bench. No way was he going to work and listen at the same time. Tommy was too good a storyteller for that. Tommy also tossed aside his tool belt and sat, his eyes going distant as he began to relate the experiences he had had with the mysterious Gold Ranger.  
  
"....And he simply could not hold onto his powers when he splintered. That was where Jason came in. After I yanked him from the ocean, Billy tried to take the powers, but could not, due to some negative protons or other technobabble I don't understand. I went and hunted out Jason, who had just returned from Switzerland. He took on the Gold Ranger powers for a few weeks, until he started to reject the powers. Trey had no choice, Teej, splintered or not, he had to return and claim them, and was force-rejoined by unconventional means so he could reclaim the powers. Usually, it is a process that takes much longer. Thank goodness for his people, it is a very rare phenomenon. They wish they did not have to deal with it at all."  
  
"Was that the end of the matter?"  
  
"Almost. Trey stuck around for another week, until we had completely defeated the Machine Empire, and were just about to assume the Turbo Powers. Then he was called away." Tommy stretched, realizing how long they had been talking. "I do have one picture of him, though. Kat somehow managed to talk him into a group shot, and Alpha took the picture."  
  
He dug into his wallet, where he kept his copy of the photo. TJ, curious, took it and examined it closely. He recognized most of the individuals in the picture, arms linked in obvious friendship and team unity against a desert background. He saw Katherine, Rocky, Tommy, Adam, Tanya, even Jason was in the picture.  
  
However, there was one boy TJ did not recognize, who was wearing strange clothing and had a distinctive gold streak over his left eye, extending onto his upper cheekbone. He had dark hair and tannish-colored skin, and a handsome face, with a certain nobility that seemed...fitting somehow. A high forehead rose over deep, dark eyes, high cheekbones, firmly chisled lips, and a chisled, noble, strong jaw. He held himself, not with a superior air, but with the attitude of someone with a calm, central countenance.  
  
TJ also noticed something else. Though the boy smiled, and he held himself straight and tall, it did not extend to his eyes. They were hollow, empty of any positive feeling. Even at this distance, the camera had captured the sadness reflected in them, as well as hints of a guilt-burdended soul.  
  
Tommy had guessed what he was looking at. "I noticed that in him, too, when I met him. He did not say anything specific, but I knew he was driven somehow. He just gives off that air of someone who clenches himself and throws himself into his work because he feels guilty and full of pain. And yet, he has that calm, central part to him, too. I suppose he's a complex person, and of course, I was curious, but what could I do? I could not be so nosy. I don't know enough of his customs, I could have insulted him somehow. It wasn't until later that I got some inkling of what could possibly be troubling him to such an extent."  
  
TJ raised an eyebrow, but Tommy shook his head. "I have never told anybody this. It is a horrible, sad story, and I am not sure how much is truth. It was in a file that somehow formed an attachment to a file I downloaded from what Billy had brought back from Triforia. More like a virus, I thought. Or someone had attempted to destroy it but it stuck to a nonsense file instead, I don't really know how Triforian computers work. It may have been, even when I opened it up, translated, and read the contents."  
  
Tommy would probably have told him, too, if TJ's communicator had not gone off just then. It would have waited until next time, or even after, but the subject never came up again....  
  
*Flash*  
  
...until now, anyway. TJ sent a mental note to himself to go to Tommy again and bring up the subject.  
  
*But what about the nosy part?* a corner of his brain reminded him. *Would Trey respect your interference?*  
  
*It is just out of...concern,* he tried to remind himself. *You like Trey, after all. Would you want him hurt?*  
  
However, the stars from the hyperush effect thinned out, and as Earth came into view, he forgot about the matter altogether again.  
  
This time, maybe for not as long as he thought.  
  
****  
  
The Angel Grove Jym and Juice Bar was bustling, as usual. In one corner, a few girls were practicing gymnastics, In another, a Taekwondo class was being taught. The various "HYAH's and HAH's that the class generated swinging roundhouse kicks and backhand strikes were audible a the Juice Bar, where the Lightstar Rangers were gathered.  
  
Mr. Stone had just finished taking the orders of the boys, and turned cheerfully to Ashley and Cassie. "And what will you lovely ladies be having today?" he asked, knowing full well what they would order.  
  
They looked at each other, grinning at the routing. "Coke," they announced at the same time.  
  
Mr. Stone grinned and chuckled. "Two usuals, coming right up."  
  
TJ rolled his eyes. *Boy, something interesting besides a monster attack had better happen soon, or I am going to go nuts.* He thought about asking Carlos to join him in a game of basketball, but he saw the preoccupied look on his friend's face and decided to let well enough alone. He turned his gaze to the nearby tv set, where the latest new flick was being played, and promptly forgot about the rest of the group. Ashley and Andros were to busy giving each other adoring glances and Cassie was too busy with her Walkman to notice.  
  
Carlos, like TJ, was bored. As in B-O-R-E-D. *What is interesting anymore if all you do day after day after day is fight monsters? Geez, you can't even keep a girlfriend, with all the roaming out in space a ranger does. Is this the life I want to continue to lead?*  
  
He looked around the Youth Center, reflecting that there was almost no one present he did not know well or was at least aquainted with. Even most of the children in the Taekwondo class were little brothers or sisters of people he knew.  
  
*A big city like Angel Grove,* he mused, *And almost nobody is a stranger.* His gaze continued to flicker around the room, resting nowhere in particular--until the most peculiar feeling hit him, one of being silently observed from time to time.  
  
The first time it hit, he shrugged it off. So what if somebody was looking at him, although he could not see who. But the feeling continued to come and go, until he got tired of it and really looked around the room.  
  
Nobody was paying attention. The gymnists continued to practice on the balance beams, the teens at the Juice Bar continued to talk merrily with full mouths and with typical exaggerated gestures with hands full of food. The Taekwondo class continued to practice kicks, to spar, and to break boards. Nothing seemed out of place.  
  
He was about to turn his gaze away from the class when a brilliant flash of gold caught his eye. Unsure why, he turned his gaze back to the class, for the first time, his eyes fell on *her*.  
  
The petite girl was the one who seemed to be assisting the Master teach his class. She wore a black belt, but her white practice uniform was tinged purple.  
  
It was her hair, though, that had caught his attention at first. It was a brilliant, pure-gold color, with near ringlet-curls that flowed down her slim waist.  
  
She had caught his attention, and he simply *stared*.  
  
*She looks familiar, somehow* he mused, studying her features. She had a high forehead, high cheekbones, a small, finely-chisled, arrow-straight nose, and a firm, noble jaw. Her lips were red and temptingly full, with just a suggestion of a pout.  
  
In reality, though, he scarcely noticed that. There was something...he was not sure, *about* her, that drew his gaze. Maybe it was the aura surrounding her, or her posture, which spoke of a strong spirit, he was not certain. She was showing a child the correct posture for a roundhouse kick, and demonstrated for the boy with firm moves and an audible *snap* of her practice uniform. When the boy tried again, and suceeded, she smiled a brilliant smile that to Carlos's eyes, showed a rare light.  
  
When the boy wandered off to practice, her gaze left the child, and to Carlos's surprise, turned directly to his. Carlos felt himself being drawn into the gaze of the deepest purple eyes he had ever seen.  
  
****  
  
"Carlos? Yo, Carlooossss," said Cassie musically, waving her hand in front of his eyes. What is *wrong* with you?"  
  
He jumped, startled. "What?"  
  
"He had The Look on his face," remarked Ashley with a grin. "Hey, Carlos, who are you infatuated with?"  
  
He shot her an exasperated look, but obviously thought better of an angry retort. "Do any of you know that girl?" he asked instead, indicating the class, where the girl had gone back to teaching the students.  
  
"The one with the golden hair?" asked Ashley. "No, I don't know her, but she looks about our age."  
  
"Does she seem familiar somehow?" Carlos asked.  
  
TJ shot him an odd look. "Not really."  
  
"I--oh, I don't know," sighed Carlos, going red and shaking his head. "I just get the feeling she is very familiar--that I know her. That we should know her. There is something *about* her that I feel that I have encountered before, and will again."  
  
Cassie gave him a slightly dubious look but did not question his notion. After all, she had gone through a similar event with the Phantom Ranger before she had managed to make her feelings known to him.  
  
TJ, though, was also giving the girl a second glance. "Come to think of it, she does look familiar somehow--like she resembles somebody I know, but I can't place where. Is that what you meant, Carlos?"  
  
"I--I think so," he stumbled. "But--"  
  
"But you are also attracted to her," grinned Cassie.  
  
"No, I--"  
  
"Bull. Don't give me that. I've seen that look on your face before, but never so intensely. So you were caught up in her pretty face, so what?"  
  
"No, it was not that. You know I don't care what a person looks like. I would not be a power ranger if I thought that way. There is just something, I don't know--" he waved his hand in confusion.  
  
"Something that goes beyond words?" asked Cassie quietly, perfectly serious now. Carlos shot her a grateful glance.  
  
"Exactly." He was glad she understood. She had acted that way with the Phantom Ranger for the longest time, he recalled...  
  
"Why don't you go talk to her?" suggested Andros, out of the blue. He had a strange look in his eyes. "If you feel that way about her, don't let her get away, because you could seriously regret it." He shot a shy smile in Ashley's direction, and she grinned back.  
  
His words had more impact for Carlos than Andros could have guessed. Carlos nodded numbly and turned his attention back to the Taekwondo class. When her gaze flickered back to his again, albeit breifly, he also got the sudden feeling she had been the one watching them earlier.  
  
****  
  
A little while later, the class ended. The girl had vanished into a dressing room with the other females in the class, and Carlos waited almost impatiently as she came out dressed in form-fitting, knee-length jeans and a light purple T-shirt tucked into them. She was fixing the strap on her duffel bag when he got up the nerve to approach her.  
  
"Hi. You know, I could not help but watch such a talented Taekwondo instructor, although I don't think I've seen your face before," he said shyly.  
  
She looked up, her violet-purple eyes meeting his. She regarded him for a split second, then smiled. "Oh, hi. Thanks, Carlos." she said softly in a sweet voice. "I was filling in as a favor to a friend. But thank you nonetheless."  
  
Something in what she said rang an instant bell in his mind. "You...know my name?" he asked, surprised.  
  
"Sure. Word gets around quickly here." she shifted her bag onto her shoulder, giving him a glance that said he was free to join her as they headed outside. "Angel grove is a pretty well-knit city if I ever saw one, huge place or not."  
  
"Of course," he said, not sure of what else to say as he walked beside her out the door. Suddenly, he did think of something.  
  
"Then, if you know my name, could I have yours?"  
  
"You could," she grinned at him.  
  
*Imp,* the thought sprang to his mind, unbidden and affectionate. "Okay, may I have your name, *please*?"  
  
Her full lips curved faintly in response. "Okay, yes you may. My name is Sharie." She shifted the bag on her shoulder and pulled a purple scrunchie off her wrist, pulling her golden hair back off her face, except for her bangs.  
  
"Sharie..." he trailed off, indicating he wanted her last name as well.  
  
"My full name is Sharie Jeanette Triesta, Carlos Antonio Perez." she flashed her smile at him again. He did not bother to ask how she knew his middle name, he was not sure he *wanted* to know.  
  
"Sharie Jeanette Triesta," he repeated, wondering why the name rang a bell. *Triesta?*  
  
She nodded, her eyes not leaving his. He was suddenly aware he had been staring, and he blushed, trying to formulate more words quickly.  
  
"Pretty name. It suits you."  
  
"Thank you," she said, the slightest hint of color rising to her cheeks as well, but the small smile he was quickly coming to like remained on his face. Carlos suddenly felt that if he did not start talking, he would start gibbering like an idiot.  
  
"I have not seen you around here before. You new here?" Carlos asked, trying to sound casual.  
  
She bit her lip, and suddenly Carlos was under the impression that she was trying to formulate an appropriate answer. "Not exactly. I did grow up in Angel Grove. I have just been out...traveling for the past eight months, so I am behind on the times. Last time I was here, the Zeo Rangers were recently joined by some strange Gold Ranger. Now, they are...different."  
  
Carlos whistled. "Boy, you must have traveled far to not know that after awhile, the Zeos were replaced by the Turbo Rangers, and then more recently by the Lightstar Rangers. They are not around as much, though," he said, cautiously, not wanting to appear as if he knew too much.  
  
Sharie tried to suppress a sigh. The time had come to tell them. No longer could she help, hidden from the background. Earth was in too much danger. The danger would increase once her cover was blown, at least because of the local evil community, but the time was at hand. She was glad she had run into one of the very people she wanted to meet. Perhaps this would be easier than she thought.  
  
Carlos saw her thoughtful look, and was suddenly aware of her eyes breifly shifting from his face to the black-striped communicator at his wrist before meeting his gaze again. Carlos was immediately flooded by surprise and caution, and the eerie feeling that she knew, she just *knew*, who he and his friends were.  
  
Seeing his expression go from open and easygoing to cautious, Sharie knew he'd been following her gaze. It was eerie, almost as if he'd been reading her thoughts. How could he do that without telepathy? She suddenly felt chilled, and slightly nauseous....a new emotion, one she had not felt before, crept into her stomach and straight up between he ribs. Her pulse escalated without her knowing *why*.  
  
It was all she could do to keep her mind on the matter at hand. What the hell was wrong with her? She'd never felt like this before. She had to force herself to act, and she had to get away from him....the closer she got to him, the more the feeling intensified. His eyes were so dark and so bottomless she feared she'd become lost and make an idiot of herself. More than that, she had to make sure he did not notice what she was feeling. Nobody must ever get in again where they could hurt her.  
  
Barely thinking, she grabbed him by the hand and pulled him out the door of the building, out of earshot of anybody else. "Look Carlos, I must speak with you and your friends, and soon. Could you get Andros, Ashley, TJ, and Cassie, besides yourself, to meet me in Angel Grove park tomorrow?"  
  
She saw his surprise and hesistation. She startled him into nodding an agreement when she leaned up and whispered, "I *know*, Black Lightstar Ranger. Now, I really need you to do this."  
  
Numbly, he nodded. Her eyes rendered him completely wordless even more than her shocking revelation that she knew his secret, not to mention the suffocating pressure on his chest that was suddenly rendering him speechless.  
  
In response, she flashed him a brilliant smile. "Great! I'll see you tomorrow then." Without another word, she turned and walked off, leaving Carlos shaking his head in complete confusion.  
  
As he walked back inside, something else occured to him, a feeling that had bothered him without his being sure why.  
  
Her eyes, the ones that had pulled him in so deeply, were haunted. She had the most brilliant smile, but it did not reach those large purple irises. They were largely devoid of any positive emotion whatsoever, as if they had no reason to have any. She'd struggled to hide from him what she was thinking and feeling.....all but a raging torment just visible behind the sheilds she seemed to keep up around herself, a wall of protection against something Carlos could not even fathom.  
  
****  
  
"She *what*?" asked TJ, incredulous. "And you agreed?"  
  
"What else could I do? She tongue-tied me. Now the question is, what *do* we do?" sighed Carlos, frustrated. "I got no sense she was decieving me."  
  
"Still, it could be a plot by Astronema," said Ashley.  
  
"And then again, maybe not," said Andros. "I suggest we meet her, but with caution until we know her true purpose. Who knows what may happen."  
  
****  
  
Early the next morning, the Rangers gathered in Angel Grove Park as Sharie had instructed Carlos to do.  
  
"This had better *not* be a trap," grumped TJ sleepily, rubbing his eyes. "If it is, I will *not* be happy."  
  
They did not have to wait long before Carlos spotted the girl he had met the day before. She appeared out of nowhere a short distance away and walked toward them, as if not a thing was wrong. She must have seen their caution on their faces, because she kept her posture nonthreatening and smiled slightly at them.  
  
"No, I am not what you are thinking. Astronema did not send me." she assured them.  
  
"Okay, uh, Sharie," said TJ, in a getting-down-to-business tone and not wasting time on formalities. "How is it you know so much about us? Did Zordon tell you this and send you somehow?"  
  
"No, TJ. What I have to say you may very well find hard to believe, but I have been watching the Power Rangers since I was twelve. I have known the identites ofmost of them, like Trini, Zack, Kimberly, Adam, Tommy, you get the picture."  
  
"I see..." said TJ slowly, his voice not quite hiding his disbelief. "And how do you know..."  
  
He was interrupted by several explosions, followed by various screams and cries.  
  
Looking up, they all saw a group of monsters, so terrible-looking that the term 'hideously ugly' was a kind description, trashing Angel Grove park and sending innocent civilians running in all directions in sheer panic.  
  
"Looks like we have a problem," muttered Ashley. They were vaguely aware of Sharie following them to an out-of-the-way corner, where the group of rangers looked at her for a moment before Andros shrugged, figuring 'what the heck, she already knows'.  
  
"Come on, guys," he announced. "Let's rocket!" They flipped open their morphers and tapped in the numbers "3,3,5" and activating the morphing sequence. A brilliant light flashed as their suits materialized into place around them, their helmets appearing and concealing their features.  
  
Once morphing was complete, Carlos cast a glance at Sharie, who had not moved, but now had an errie glow in her purple eyes, her slender body tensed as if ready to pounce. "Better get out of here, Sharie, before you get hurt."  
  
"I will not," she said quietly, her chin lifting slightly. "I intend to help."  
  
"How?" asked Carlos, puzzled. "You have no powers." He did not add that he was showing quite a bit of trust in her to not betray them to Astronema.  
  
For answer, she gave him a slightly mischevious smile and backed away slightly. She straightened her arms and gave each wrist a quick jerk. Morphers appeared in their places at her wrists. She then bent her arms at the elbows and crossed her wrists. They could only watch in surprise as she gave the cry, "Zeo Violet Ranger Power!"  
  
A bright purple light blinded them for an instant. When it faded, there was a purple ranger standing in it's place, a beautiful violet suit trimmed with gold that looked eerile familiar. She also wore a gold-colored chestplate, trimmed with violet,, like a certain Gold Ranger had worn before her. But the most astonishing item was her helmet design, the same design that the Gold Ranger's had been!  
  
Noting their obvious astonishment, Sharie nodded. "Trust me, I will explain later. Right now, I wish to help, there are a lot of monsters and quantrons around. The more hands, the better."  
  
Andros, too surprised to really register her words, only nodded in agreement, and the six rangers turned and dived into the foray of bad guys.  
  
It was worse than they had first thought, for each quantron they bashed, two more leaped on them, or a monster, or both. Needless to say, the Lightstar Rangers were quickly overwhelmed.  
  
Carlos was surprised to note, however, that Sharie seemed to have considerably less trouble than he was having. He was not quite sure how she did it, but somehow, she managed to duck the monster's claws and the Quantron's weapons and hit them right where it hurt. Though he was pinned at the moment, Carlos could not help but grin in satisfaction as a soprano yelp indicated where her well-placed kick had landed. *Ouch....*  
  
Once she managed to get herself free, she turned her efforts to the rest of the team.  
  
"Think you could show me a couple of those moves? And how do you manage to keep them off you like that?" TJ panted as she side-swiped a quantron in the neck, knocking him off the Blue Ranger.  
  
"Sure," she said, as two monsters, outraged, each grabbed one of her arms. "That is, if we get through this. And instant teleportation is a trademark of the Zeo Powers." She jerked her wrists and yanked her arms away sharply, freeing them. She slipped them around the back of their heads and crashed them together, so the monsters saw stars. A low swoop of her foot sent them tumbling to the ground, off-balance. She had nothing else to do with them but draw a laser pistol from her belt and fire, letting them go in a blaze of agony. Without a further thought, she rejoined the fray, helping her new aquaintences to fight until only two monsters were left.  
  
****  
  
"Uh-oh," muttered Cassie as they blew up to Megazord size . "One of them looks bad enough, but two?"  
  
"Sharie?" called Andros. "You've got the power, but you got a zord handy?" *After all, she can do everything else...*  
  
"Sure I do. Several, in fact. Sphinx Ultrazord, power up!"  
  
The ground rumbled, and a roar was heard. Up came bounding a gigantic zord, with the look of the Sphinx of Egypt on it. It stood, proudly ridged, by Sharie and waited paitently for further instruction.  
  
"It fits," mused Carlos to himself. "The Gold Ranger had the pyramid shape of Egypt, why not the Violet Ranger have the Sphinx?"  
  
"Good," called Andros. "Astro Megazord, power up!"  
  
As their own gigantic zord swung into place, Sharie turned to her zord. "Sphinx Ultrazord, battle mode 1!" she ordered. Obediently, the animal legs reformed to form a humanoid posture, and it rose to the full height of the Astro Megazord. Magically, a sword and shield materialized, and it stood there proudly, daring somebody to mess with it.  
  
"We'll handle the brown monster," called Andros. "Sharie, you take the piglike monster."  
  
"Agreed," came her voice over their communicators. A purple teleportaion beam swept her away from their sight up into the zord. The rest of the rangers did the same, and the stage was set for battle.  
  
****  
  
A loud squeal of pain resounded in the air as a final swipe from the Sphinx Ultrazord's sword put an end to the pig monster's misery.  
  
"Thank you," she said aloud. "You were enough trouble as it was."  
  
Sharie held back a sigh of relief, the danger was not yet over. It seemed that the brown monster, with an ugly trunk that doubled as a third arm, was pretty evenly matched against the Astro Megazord.  
  
"Need a hand?" she asked over the comm system.  
  
"Need you ask?" answered Ashley. "How about blindsiding him for us? He has forgotten you are there."  
  
"Sure." While the Megazord kept the monster occupid, Sharie piloted her zord to sneak up on him as quietly as it was possible for a zord to sneak. One swipe of her sword, and she did some nasty injury to the creature that is too gruesome to describe. The Megazord took it's window of opprotunity, and went in for the final blow, standing over the explosion triumphantly as the monster went out in a bright flash and a loud cry of agony. The Sphinx Ultrazord came up, and the two zords high-fived it in victory.  
  
****  
  
After sending their zords away, the teens returned to the park. Sharie came up to them and just looked at them for a moment, before sighing and settling under the trees with them. She had some things that she wanted to relate.  
  
"How do I begin?" she said somberly. "As I said, I have been watching the rangers since I was twelve, and Rita Repulsa was first freed from her dumpster prison to wreak havok on the world in an attempt to conquer it."  
  
"You were twelve then?" asked Ashley. "That makes you, what, sixteen or seventeen now?" she mused, struggling with her memory.  
  
"I am seventeen, somewhat younger than the rest of you, but not by much."  
  
"I don't remember hearing of you before," said TJ, hoping he had not caught her in a lie.  
  
"That is because I have never visibly fought here on Earth before, with others knowing it. The times I lended aid to the rangers in the past were without their knowlege."  
  
"You've had your powers since you were twelve?" asked Carlos. "Boy, were you young. Who gave them to you, Zordon? And why did you never show youself before this?"  
  
She held up a hand to stop the flow of questions. "Zordon did not give me my powers. He has no idea I exist here on Earth. I have not showed myself openly on Earth before because my powers are highly dangerous to handle. They are not your typical Zeo powers, but it would be difficult to explain otherwise. And I got them when I was five, not when I was twelve."  
  
"Five!" TJ gaped at her. "How could you possibly handle them as a child? Who would give a warrior's powers to a little girl unable to use them?"  
  
"I know, it took me three years. My own mother gave me these powers," she sighed, then looked as if she regretted saying it. *Here come the questions...*  
  
"Your mother?" echoed Cassie. "No offense, Sharie, but *where* did you say you were from?"  
  
Sharie bit her lip and was silent for a moment, as if contemplating an answer that was extremely difficult to say. Her eyes also lowered, but not before Carlos noticed the heart-wrenching pain that flashed in them. He did not feel surprised when his own heart twisted in response.  
  
"It is difficult to talk about, and there is only so much I may say," she whispered at last. "I am not exactly from around here, guys. I did not come to Angel Grove until I was nearly six years old."  
  
"Where were you before that?" asked Cassie gently.  
  
She swallowed. "Offworld."  
  
"Offworld?" repeated TJ. "You are really *not* from around here, are you? Where are you from? A space colony like KO-35?"  
  
"No, KO-35 was abandoned long ago. I am not even human."  
  
"Not human?" repeated Carlos. "Then where are you from?"  
  
Her eyes flashed again in pain. "I was born on a planet called Triforia."  
  
The Rangers exchanged glances. "Then how did you end up here?" asked Ashley. "You are only seventeen, why aren't you at home where you belong?"  
  
"I can't go back to Triforia. I no longer have a home to return to."  
  
Carlos was closest to Sharie, he saw that her hands had begun to tremble. Unsure as to how she might react, he gently laid a hand on her arm. She looked at him in surprise, her eyes spearing him to the core of his being.  
  
"What happened?" he asked.  
  
She closed her eyes, as if steeling herself against an unimaginable horror story. Carlos, unaware of his own actions, slid his hand from her shoulder to rest on top of hers. Her eyes flew open again, surprised. He smiled slightly at her.  
  
"You do not have to tell us, if you don't want to," he said quietly.  
  
"No, I-I must tell you something," she said, just as quietly. "I was born on Triforia. I have one older brother who was already 2500 years old when I was born, since my parents thought they could never have any more children. That was not good, because if possible, siblings are always raised in groups of two or three so they aren't alone. I was a total surprise. I remember the look on my family's faces right after I was born. We were...what is the right word? Close-knit."  
  
"You remember your birth?" asked Ashley in surprise.  
  
"Most of us do. We have photographic memories all our lives."  
  
"What happened?" asked TJ softly. He noticed she left her hand in Carlos's, it seemed to give her the courage to go on.  
  
"My father died when I was three." she trembled, and seemed grateful when Carlos squeezed her hand gently. "My brother and I were extremely close, probably because he had grown up alone, which my people *hate* almost above all else. After my father died, we pulled together even more, along with my mother, and continued to live--until the attempted invasion and subsequent war of Triforia."  
  
She stopped, and Carlos could see real horror flashing behind her purple eyes. Whatever terrors she had seen, she did not seem to be able to speak about it. He glanced at where her rather small hand still rested within his, he gripped it firmly, and also reached for her other hand.  
  
"Do not go on if you cannot," he urged.  
  
"I must," she whispered, looking at him with haunted eyes, which still showed no trace of tears, only what appeared to be an inherent stubbornness to control them. "I sense some of you still doubt my words. You must believe me when I say I am no threat to you, physically or mentally."  
  
"I believe you," he urged. "You do not have to go on."  
  
"I must," she repeated. She drew a deep breath, and Carlos felt her fingers clench his. "I--don't like to remember what happened then. Sometime during the war, one of the men who headed the enemy saw me, and decided I would make a cute servant girl, or some other kind of show-off, I suppose. There were other reasons, too, I just don't want to go into them." Her eyes lowered, and she barely whispered audiably, "I was kidnapped."  
  
Andros's eyes widened, and Ashley's hand covered her mouth.  
  
"I was kidnapped, and held prisoner for three weeks. Much of that time was so traumatic I don't even remember what happend...but I remember plenty that can never be repeated. Plus, the man who had me snatched was sadistic and cruel, not only to me, but all his servants. He beat almost all of them regularly, and loved to play mental torture games. I don't know how I managed to escape him, but I did."  
  
She had begun to shiver violently, and Carlos was unable to help himself. He slid his arms around her while she gritted her teeth and stubbornly insisted on continuing.  
  
"I am okay, Carlos, honest. After I escaped, I made my way home. It was my brother who found me, grabbed me up and carried me indoors. One would have thought that I was safe then--how wrong *that* little notion was." She drew in a shuddering breath and continued. "The man who had me kindapped--he was a bit of a free vocalizer. Too much. He was fond of repeating forbidden information to whoever was listening, information people outside of his species were absolutely *not* allowed to know about. It was death for whoever knew and whoever told, if it was found out. When my mother found out some of the information I was privy to, she truly feared for my life."  
  
Sharie was silent while she took several deep breaths, as if really steeling herself. "And the man was furious, too. He had never intended for me to leave his service, even if the idea of ransom had evercrossed his mind. I had a price on my head, and people were out everywhere searching for me to return me to him--dead or alive."  
  
Andros was white. He was not sure he wanted to hear the rest. But he felt he had to.  
  
"Mother was terrified. She could not keep me hidden, for this man it was near-impossible to hide anything if he was determined to find it. To protect me, she knew that the only way to keep me alive was to send me away, into the unknown--where even she would not know where I ended up, in case she was captured and interrogated, she honestly would not know.  
  
"She did not dare tell my brother, for he would have never let her do it. I remember she came to me shortly after I returned home, and handed me this." Sharie held out her hand, and a staff appeared, looking like the Golden Power Staff, except it was purple where the black should have been. "She told me to close my eyes and concentrate on the staff, it was for my own protection. I did, and felt a strange feeling flood through me as the power bonded with my very essence. I also knew it would be too much for me to control at that point, except for basic self-preservation. There is something about my powers...they don't exist in other Zeo Powers. And I have no idea where she got them. She never told me and I never sensed it from her mind."  
  
"You are telepathic?" asked Ashley over her own amazement.  
  
"Yes, I can do just about anything, and on any level, but it comes with a price. If I do not keep my mental barriers up at all times, I can be overwhelmed by another person's thoughts and feelings. It is not pleasant."  
  
"Then what happened?" asked Cassie softly.  
  
"The very next day, over my protests, she led me to a docking bay in one of the orbital space stations my family was on at the time. We were the only ones on board the station, and my brother was at the opposite end of the station from the docking ring where my mother placed me in a small craft and kissed me good-bye, no matter how much I begged to be allowed to stay. And she made sure I could not change course myself and returned before she shut me inside, and my craft was jettisoned from the station in an aimless direction I doubt even she knew."  
  
"Why did you never go back later?" asked TJ. "I would have been furious."  
  
"I was too, at first. But my family has to be dead. The last I saw of the station, I don't know if it was sabatoge or not, but it blew up. I had nowhere else to go, my planet is probably war-ridden still, for all I know. I traveled for three days before crash-landing on earth."  
  
*She does not realize the truth!* thought TJ, shocked. *She never returned, so she does not know what really happened!* He had a feeling the others were thinking the same thing, but nobody said anything as Sharie continued.  
  
"I crash-landed on the property of a wealthy young couple who had no children of their own. They offered to raise and adopt me, for which I was grateful. I had no control over my powers, and this gave me the chance to get control. Plus, I grew to love them very much." Intense pain flashed in her eyes again. "It was not worth it to lose them, too! My adoptive father died when I was nine, of meninginitis that spread so fast he never had a chance, and even I could not help him. My mother died when I was fourteen in a car accident. I've lived alone, pretty much, since."  
  
"You are seventeen, right?" asked Ashley. Sharie nodded. "Who are your legal guardians? And you are not that much younger than us, but I don't remember seeing you in school before, and neither does Carlos. We both grew up in Angel Grove."  
  
"My legal guardians are an aunt and uncle, both physicians and who also know the complete truth about me. My aunt was my mom's sister, and my uncle was my father's brother--a double-wedding deal, as they put it. As for education--to put it mildly, what your school systems teach, I already knew. Our style of educaiton is...different, and so it is learned faster. I do not know if you have ever heard of knowledge infusion, though. Anyway, I spent my time persuing university degrees, at fast rates, because there is not much to learn except for a few unique things on this planet. I am even a trained physician, though I don't have time to set up a practice. My aunt and uncle also are, so I occasionally help them." Her face now numb, she shrugged. "And it is a good thing I did not. When I assumed control of my powers when I was eight, I began to slip out into uncharted parts of space occasionally. I could not bear the thought of others going through what I had gone through. I am...driven to help others, I suppose is a term that could be used. But I usually only venture out into the deepest of space, because I have made more than a few enemies helping to eliminate evil. They would like to get their hands on me, and stop at nothing to do so. I am unwilling to risk the safety of this planet luring them here."  
  
"Why did you never seek out Zordon when you came to Earth?" asked Cassie gently. "He could have helped you also."  
  
"There are a lot of reasons, and not all of them pleasent. Zordon does not even know I exist, much less of my powers. Let me put it this way," it seemed to be her way of saying that she thought they were better off not knowing already. "It is too dangerous. Powers of my type would have attracted Earth a lot of unwanted attention, even before Rita showed up. Those evil would have been eager to get their eager little hands on my powers. They are not designed for evil use, but used in certain ways, they can easily be used to dominate galaxies, without hardly a blink. That is why I kept it a secret so long, only helping from the shadows."  
  
"So why now?" asked Carlos.  
  
"I will not lie to you. Earth is in even graver danger now than ever. Especially with Zordon missing. I have this feeling that in the future, things will get a lot tougher. I am offering my help to your team, if you accept it. The only problem is, I cannot be around all the time. I still have obligations to the darker reaches of space. My adoptive family knows who you are, too. They know of my decision, and are willing to keep your secret and offer aid if you need it, since they are doctors. They could help in an emergency."  
  
Andros nodded. If he had any doubts, they had long before been dispelled.  
  
Sharie had slowly stopped shaking, her body relaxing, though her expression remained one of carefully veiled neutrality, as if she was ashamed of showing so much of what she had felt. Her eyes, though, remained haunted, as if she was never able to dispel the horrors of what she had seen in her childhood or had probably seen since, being a Ranger.  
  
Ashley glanced at the sun, it was nearing overhead. "What say we get a bite to eat, guys?" she asked, trying to dispel the melancholy mood. The rest nodded absently, except Sharie.  
  
"I have to go. I have some things I still have to catch up on. I was not exactly lying, Carlos, when i said that I had been gone for eight months. A mission in deep space trapped me out there for that long, and I was only recently able to return."  
  
Carlos nodded as they stood. "I understand. So...will I see you again soon?" he asked, his tone a bit wistful.  
  
"Sure," she said softly, and for the first time since starting her tale, she let the corners of her mouth turn up slightly, though her eyes remained blank with the effort to bury what she had forced herself to dredge up. Her hands were still in his, she squeezed them. "And Carlos?....thank you," she whispered, almost fervrently. "You really did help me, more than you could know. Good-bye, I will see you soon." She disengaged her slender hands from his, and walked off swiftly, only once turning her bright purple gaze back to his as she rounded the corner. Just as she walked out of sight, a purple teleportation beam whisked her away.  
  
****  
  
"I cannot disbelieve her," said TJ that same afternoon. "But still, what she says sounds too incredible to be real. And yet, I cannot doubt her. I know nobody does," he sighed.  
  
Carlos just looked at him. "She has never been back to Triforia since she left the place, how would she know things turned out differently than from what she assumed? Her eyes remind me of Trey's, because they are so full of loss, as a matter of fact, " he mused, as if suddenly something important hit him. "Did you notice how familiar she seemed? Dosn't she resemble Trey an awful lot in the face area, if you disregard the eyes and hair?"  
  
"So what if she does?" mumbled TJ.  
  
"Her last name is Triesta..."  
  
"What are you getting at?" said TJ, raising an eyebrow.  
  
"What was Trey's last name?"  
  
"Triesta. So what, Carlos. That does not mean...." His eyes widened and he shook his head, hard. "No, Carlos Perez, don't even *start* down that direction. That is too fanciful a notion to think about."  
  
"But what about their powers? Look at her helmet, man! The same design! I would not be surprised if she has a pyramidas of her own somewhere."  
  
"She obviously also has no idea that the Gold Ranger is the Lord of Triforia. If they had been even distantly related, would she not have known that? Trey has had those powers for 2,000 years."  
  
"But if for some reason, she had not known...."  
  
"Carlos, stop grasping at straws! She has powers, and she is here to help. I know you like her, that is fine, I don't care where she comes from. But don't pry into her affairs like that! She would surely never forgive you, and *then* where would you be?"  
  
"*Madre de Dios!* It is not just her face!" Carlos insisted. "She has this...*way* about her, I cannot understand it. It is in how she holds herself, her very essence, the way she was born with, like we are all born with the ability to carry ourselves a certain way. The only other person I ever saw carry himself even remotely like that is Trey."  
  
"How do we know that not all Triforians act certain ways? It is all coincidence, Carlos. Please, drop it!"  
  
But Carlos would not. "Did you not tell me Tommy knows more about Trey's past than we do? We could go ask him," he insisted.  
  
"*Damn*, Carlos, when did you get so nosy all of a sudden? You are acting posessed!"  
  
"Maybe it is because I am! I can finally understand how Cassie felt with the Phantom Ranger, TJ. I am asking you to help me on this."  
  
TJ looked hard at Carlos, and then sighed in defeat. He, too, well remembered what Cassie had gone through. And now Carlos was just as lovesick and concerned. "All right. We will go see Tommy in a couple of days, when he gets back from that race. Until then, Carlos, *please* don't tell Sharie what is on your mind, or mention Triforia at all to her. She is in enough pain, you don't need to rub it in. Just try and get along with her when you see her, okay?"  
  
Carlos nodded, glad to at least gotten somewhere with the conversation, and not caring that TJ probably thought him a basket case by now....  
  
****  
  
Over the next two days, Carlos took every opprotunity to see Sharie that he could. He hung around after her Taekwondo class, accepted when she offered to teach him some moves, explaining that they were different from karate, and took walks with her. They found a variety of subjects to talk about, but Carlos kept his promise to TJ and did not bring up her past, acting as if it did not concern him in the least. In case she already knew somehow what he was planning to do, though, he did ask if she usually read his mind and knew what he was thinking. She gave him a look of such shock he was puzzled.  
  
"Why, no! Unless I have to, I keep my mental barriers up at all times. To intrude on another's mind is...rude, and it was discouraged in me since the day of my birth. As soon as I was old enough to understand, techniques for keeping others out was drilled into my mind unrelentingly."  
  
Carlos nodded, tempted to ask her to specify further, but not daring. He reached for her hand and they wandered down the myriad paths that reached, far-flung, into the depths of Angel Grove Park.  
  
****  
  
How could she admit the rest of her story to them? There was so much she had left unsaid, but she had simply been unable to bring herself to say it. And what would they think, if they knew who she really was? Especially...Carlos?  
  
Never before had she been drawn to a person in such a way. Her fingers burned when they were in the safe clasp of his hands, his dark eyes called to her inner self like destiny called to destiny.  
  
*How could I bear to feel this way about him?* she wondered in the privacy of her mind, *when I could simply lose him, too?*  
  
Revealing herself as she had done had been a major disadvantage, in a way, because she had no doubt that now, stories of a mysterious Violet Ranger were making it's rounds in the local Evil community. Nearby bad guys were now aware of her existence, wheras when she had been in the shadows, she had been able to help without revealing the source. Earth might benefit from her direct protection, but it would possibly also suffer more if word got out what her powers could do....  
  
And yet, she could not ignore the feeling that this had been one of the wiser decisions of her life. Never before had she worked with a group of rangers like this, her other contacts with alien ranger teams had been brief. But this was Earth. Her second home. Where she belonged, and she had vowed to protect it at all costs, when she was here to protect it.  
  
More importantly, she was developing friends like she had never had in a very long time. She had never been so grateful for acceptance as they had accepted her, without outside question. She sensed, offhand, that Carlos was curious, but he was also a person who sensed the feelings of another enough to know to not pry. Each time that she saw him, something about him drew her more and more deeply to him, she was very afraid of losing him, but she was even more afraid that if she denied this, she would be making the worst mistake of her life.  
  
*But if I allow myself to find him, will I lose him like I did everyone else I loved?* An unwanted memory flashed to her mind, of a little girl curled in an escape pod, whimpering with the effort not to scream as the thought penetrated her brain she had just seen her loved ones blown into the cold, unrelenting vaccuum of space....*Momma, Trey, no, please no!*  
  
Abruptly, she shook herself out of it. *What is the use of dewlling on it, when it can never be again?* She had told herself thousands of times, but each time, that part of her mind that agonized most insisted that there had to be some hope....and the more logical part of heself had insisted she never look back at the planet of her birth. She could never go back. It was simply no longer worth it. Her mother had even warned her, powers or no, it would be best never to return, unless she came for her...  
  
*Carlos...* his hypnotic gaze sprang unbidden to her mind once again. She had seen it happen so many times. Even all her missions had never been successful, she had seen Rangers agonize over ones lost...family, friends....like she herself had, and still did.  
  
*Carlos, can I go through that again with you, too?*  
  
****  
  
Tommy? asked TJ as they wandered into the auto repair area of the racetrack.  
  
"Yeah, man?" asked a barely-visible head of black hair. Dark eyes rose over the hood of the car he was working on, and they twinkled as he realized who had shown up. "Hey, Carlos, TJ, how ya doin'? Can I get you anything? Or you want another history lesson?" he joked.  
  
"Actually, yes, in a way," sighed TJ. He poked Carlos. "I need you to answer some questions, to prove to numbskull here that what he is thinking about a certain girl has nothing to do with the Lord of Triforia."  
  
Tommy's head jerked in surprise. "Trey? I just saw him two weeks ago. What would a girl have to do with him?"  
  
"That is what I told Carlos," said TJ. "But he won't listen. We sort of have a new companion, Tommy, a violet ranger who grew up on Earth, but says she is from Triforia."  
  
Tommy came around from the other side of the car, laying his tools aside. He folded his arms and looked at them expectantly. "I'm waiting."  
  
Before TJ could say anything more, Carlos suddenly blurted, "Does Trey have a sister?"  
  
Tommy looked even more shocked, then sighing resignedly, he pointed to a nearby empty bench. "Sit." he said, in a tone that was his old I-am-team- leader-therefore-you-obey-me tone.  
  
They sat.  
  
Tommy sighed and sat beside him. "Now," he said expectantly. "What was that again? 'Does Trey have a sister?' TJ, did I ever tell you that?"  
  
"No."  
  
"I thought not, but actually, he does--or he did," sighed Tommy.  
  
"How much do you know?"  
  
"If what I read was true, then more than I'd care to know otherwise. Why? DId Trey tell you something he never told me? Because he never mentioned he had a sister, I found out by accident."  
  
"How old would this 'sister' be by now?" asked TJ, looking pointedly at Carlos. "I mean, Trey is 2500 years old--"  
  
"She would be seventeen, almost eighteen by now, I think."  
  
"Did she have a name?"  
  
"Her name was Sharie Triesta, now please, tell me *why* alerady?"  
  
They only stared at him in shock for a minute, before TJ found his tongue, and a healthy new respect for Carlos's observation ability. Quietly, he started to tell Tommy about what had transpired a few days before.  
  
"...And how did you know, anyway, Tommy?" asked TJ. Tommy looked at him silently for a moment, then got up and made his way over to the workshop computer. He reached up to a lockbox above it and twisted the dial, fumbling a few times as his terrible memory struggled to remember the combonation. Then he grinned, and tried once more.  
  
It sprang open, and he drew out a disk.  
  
"Here," he said, tossing it to TJ. "Read it. Then you will understand. But please, be careful how you bring it up to either Trey or this girl you told me about. It could cause a lot of trouble."  
  
Carlos nodded. "What is in it?"  
  
Tommy shook his head. "After I got it translated to figure out what the heck it was, it seemed to be a kind of...confession. It was written by Trey's mother, Jeanette. It tells a terrible story. I think after she wrote it, it was intended to be destroyed. The only reason why it was not was, I think, because it had something to do with their technology. Whatever happened, it simply changed form and attached itself to a nonessential file, and crept into the information Billy downloaded from Triforian files and brought home from Triforia. And when *I* got it...you get the picure."  
  
TJ thought he understood. "Thanks, Tommy. We will read it."  
  
"Be careful, man. I hope things turn out for the best. I always hated the idea of what was bothering Trey, and he deserves to have something positive happen in his life. Good luck."  
  
****  
  
"Whhhhhooooooaaaaa....." was all TJ could mutter when they finished reading the translation. It was far into the night, he and Carlos had shut themselves up in the latter's room with the file and had not come out, too engrossed in what they were reading, for it was horrifying, and very, very sad. And the pictures included proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that the Violet Ranger they had recently come to know was Sharie Triesta, long-lost princess of Triforia.  
  
"No wonder they are so tormented," TJ continued. *I would have lost my sanity, going through something like that. And their mother--it was not self-motivated, to her, it was the ultimate act of love, trying to protect her child. It even tells why Sharie never knew that Trey was the Gold Ranger."  
  
"Law," Carlos echoed his thoughts. "Until she was six, she was not to be told....when she was sent away, she was only weeks from her sixth birthday!"  
  
"I think the question now is," said TJ, resting his chin in his fist, " is what to do now. Do we keep silent? Confront them? Let them see each other somehow and hope things work out?"  
  
"We have to be careful," said Carlos. "We could have them both furious at us for our interference. But you've seen Andros, and how he behaved since Kerone vanished. I don't like Andros going through that, but I don't think I can stand Sharie continuing to go through that. She needs to be reuinited with him, TJ."  
  
"That is what I think, too." he looked strangely at Carlos as the other boy squinted at one of the file pictures of Sharie as a child. "He Teej, you see this?"  
  
"That weird pendant? What about it?"  
  
"Sharie still wears it."  
  
"She does? I've never seen her."  
  
"That is because she usually wears it under her clothes. But I did see it on her once. I have been spending a lot of time with her." TJ glanced at the tri-moon pendant, a full sapphire-colored moon on top, below which were two sapphire crescents, side-by-side, embedded in the gold-colored charm, a strange encryption around the edge. "So how do we go about this, without hurting them more, or making them furious at us? We can't just jump head- first into this."  
  
"Somebody needs to tell each of them seperately, probably, and arrange for them to meet. Or at least let them know we know, first, or in Sharie's case, somehow find out how she would feel to know someone from her family was alive."  
  
"That might be a start," mumbled TJ, yawning. "Tomorrow, then, we will tell the others what we found out. Then we can go from there."  
  
****  
  
"You did *what* last night?" asked Ashley when the sleepy boys dragged themselves out of bed the next morning. "Are you two completely insane? Do you want to get us in trouble?"  
  
"They did the right thing," said Andros in a defensivet tone. Ashley softened immediately at the pain in his hazel gaze. "Sharie and Trey have a chance to do what it seems I cannot do with my sister. They need to be brought together, and this whole thing ended, for their sakes."  
  
Ashley's hand flew to the locket she still happened to be wearing. "You are right," she murmured, her own brown gaze flashing as unwanted memory hit for a moment. "I am sorry, Andros. I should have thought."  
  
"It is all right," he assured her, gripping her hand firmly. "It is just that you and I can understand better than anyone else what they are going through, you know."  
  
"How do you plan to pull this little escapade off?" asked practical Cassie. "Sharie seemed to be pretty sensetive on the subject, and Trey is not even *here*."  
  
"I am not sure," said Carlos, biting his lip in thought. "I am not even completely certain how to get *ahold* of him, much less ask him to return to Earth without sufficent cause. He is so...driven to what he does, I don't know what he would think."  
  
"And I would not have the courage to tell him over cyberspace," said TJ. "I would be afraid he would think it as the ultimate cruel joke."  
  
"Well, we *willI* figure this out, one way or another," said Andros. "They don't deserve to live like that. I only wish I were in their shoes."  
  
****  
  
Early that afternoon, Ashley was on her way to the Youth Center to meet her brother, Johnathan, so he could pay her back the ten bucks he owed her from the week before. She did not have far to look, she found him patiently sitting at one of the tables, sipping on a Pepsi and looking for all the world as if she had not been late, because she was.  
  
"Hey, Ash," he greeted her with a high-five. "Battled any cheesy monsters lately?" he asked, his brown gaze twinkling into hers.  
  
"Funny, Johnathan," she said, faintly amused. "Actually, none today...yet. Where is my ten bucks?"  
  
"Ach! She has stabbed me!" he dramatized, miming a dagger plunged into his chest. "She would rob me for what little I have, without a care!" he emphasized dramatically.  
  
Ashley collapsed into a chair, giggling. "Cut it out," she gasped. "And give me my money, John-john."  
  
He dropped his dramatic pose and blushed. "Ash!" he hissed, digging for his wallet. "We are too old for you to call me that!"  
  
"And we are too old for you to be overdramatic like that outside of the theatre." she grinned. "Besides, what is wrong with John-john? It is cute." she accepted the two fives he pressed into her hand.  
  
"Nothing! It is just....childish, you know?"  
  
"Have a girlfriend you are trying to impress?" she asked, and he blushed again.  
  
"Nah, Sarah was not my type. I'd rather go for somebody like...that," he indicated a person coming through the door. "But I think one of your friends already snared her."  
  
Ashley turned to where his brown gaze was directed, and she saw that Sharie had just entered, and was heading toward the Juice Bar stand. Ashley watched until she sarted talking to Mr.Stone, then turned back around to face Johnathan.  
  
"Yes, I think they both have a strong influence on each other," she said softly. "And maybe it is better so, Johnathan. You and I are not the only ones who lost a brother. Sharie did too--except that she has the potential to get hers back."  
  
Johnathan's eyes widened in surprise, then misted slightly. "Then she is very lucky, then. I would wish her the best." he glanced at his watch. "Gotta go, Ash. I am meeting Jeremy at the Angel Grove pool, and he does not like me to be late." he smiled faintly at her. "Good luck."  
  
"You are a wonderful brother, John-john," Ashley whispered, hugging him a little harder than she usually did. He hugged her back, this time not caring that she called him by her girlhood name for him. "See you later."  
  
He nodded, gave her a bright smile, and headed out the door without a further word.  
  
Sharie came up, soda glass in her hand, and glanced at Johnathan's vanishing back.  
  
"Hi, Ashley," she greeted. "Friend of yours?"  
  
"My brother, Johnathan."  
  
"Oh?" Sharie asked, sitting when Ashley made a gesture inviting her to join her. "How old is he?"  
  
"Eighteen."  
  
She blinked. "But are you not also--" her eyes widened in sudden understanding. "Oh, he was born with you, right?"  
  
Ashley nodded. "Yes, he is one of them," she blurted before she realized what she had said. So she was embarrassed but unsurprised when Sharie raised an eyebrow. "'One of them'?" she asked. "There is another?"  
  
She saw Ashley swallow, and instantly looked contrite. "I apologize. It is none of my business."  
  
"It is all right," Ashley gave her a faint smile. "You would find out somehow anyway, and every one else knows by now." She sighed and dug out the locket that had belonged to her other brother, Clyde. She opened it, showing Sharie the picture it contained. "My other brother was called Clyde. He died a year ago, now. He--was in a car accident."  
  
Sharie understood immediately. "I expect you miss him terribly."  
  
"I do," Ashley nodded, too numb now to cry. She was glad of that. "It really hurt, at first. Then, later, it became easier to deal with it, I suppose. Andros also knows what it is like."  
  
Sharie just looked at her, not sayinganything, as if unable to, but her eyes asked the question. Ashley saw it. "Andros lost a sister, Kerone." Ashley was reluctant to say how it had happened. But something in Sharie's eyes moved her to say it anyway. "Kerone was...kidnapped, by Darconda, several years ago, when they were children."  
  
Sharie's breath caught, and her eyes opened wide. Ashley, for the first time, saw them glitter with the hint of tears, but just barely. She went on, "He has been looking for her since, and he never gave up looking for her. He still hopes to someday find her, and bring her back."  
  
"Ashley?" the voice was barely a whisper.  
  
"Yes?" she asked. She was startled by the sudden, firey determination that blazed in the purple depths. "Tell Andros to never, never give up looking," she whispered fervrently. "As long as he has a chance, tell him not to give up. Admitting defeat would not be worth it."  
  
Ashley looked startled, then was filled with understanding. She could connect with Sharie's determination. "I will tell him."  
  
Sharie sighed, and lowered her eyes, dropping her chin to her hands. "I know that sounded dramatic," she whispered. "But I mean it. Trust me when I say I understand."  
  
"I know," Ashley responded. Suddenly, she burst out, not in the way she had planned, "Do you miss them, Sharie? Those who you lost?"  
  
Sharie's eyes widened, and her head jerked in surprise. Ashley was sorry about her impulsiveness, especially when Sharie's eyes filled with suppressed pain, before they lowered.  
  
Yes," she whispered. "More than anything."  
  
"If you had the chance, would you want them back?"  
  
Must you ask, Ashley?" Sharie looked at her with tormented eyes. "Surely you know the answer to that."  
  
"How would you feel if you could?" Ashley knew she was walking a tightrope, but she persisted.  
  
Sharie sighed in defeat. "I would be eternally grateful and thankful. And I would not care how, just so I could see my brother or either sets of parents again." Suddenly she straightened. "But I seriously doubt if there is any hope of that happening. And there is no use wishing for what cannot likely pass."  
  
She leaned back and sighed. "I will be gone for a day or two, Ashley. I won't be gone long, it is a personal matter. When I come back, I will continue helping your group search for Zordon."  
  
Ashley nodded, finishing the soda Mr. Stone had brought in the middle of their 'discussion'. She had hated putting Sharie through that, but she was glad that she now understood that maybe this venture was a good idea after all.  
  
****  
  
Ashley did not seem to notice the bustle on the bridge as she returned to the Megaship. She did not even hear what anyone said to her, because she was so deep in thought.  
  
"Ashley!" Carlos finally barked in her ear. She jumped. "What!"  
  
"You have not been paying attention to what anyone has said, have you?"  
  
Ashley shook her head. "I guess not. I just got back from talking to Sharie, guys." At her comment, total silence reigned as they suddenly listened. "I had to put it delicately, but she said, in no uncertain terms, that she would do anything to get her family back. But I did not tell her anything, or why I had asked. And I am now all for trying to get her and Trey together. The only thing is--how do we get ahold of him directly?"  
  
"We won't have to," said TJ, holding up a printout. "This is a message from Trey himself. He has important news about Zordon, so he is coming to Earth."  
  
****  
  
"He is coming?" asked Ashley in surprise, sinking into a chair. "Well, that solves our problems--and info on Zordon to boot."  
  
"He will be here tomorrow, when he get the opprotunity." said TJ. "Now the problem remains how to tell him and Sharie without sounding like nosy busybodies."  
  
"After talking with Sharie, I don't think that is a concern for her anymore," said Ashley. "But she just left on a mission of her own. The earliest she will be back is tomorrow. Maybe not for two days."  
  
"Let's hope it is not too long," said Carlos. "I, for one, will feel better once this is all over."  
  
"Who will tell them?" asked Cassie.  
  
"I suppose that remains to be seen," said Andros, his hand toying with his locket without his realizing it. "Let us hope it works out for the best."  
  
****  
  
When Trey arrived early the next morning, he looked more tired and out of it than they remembered seeing him last. His face was white, instead of his normally tan complexion, and there were faint shadows under his eyes, indicating that he was, or recently had been, ill.  
  
He said nothing about it, however, only speaking about why he had come. "I am not completely sure about the rumor as yet, Rangers," he said. "But if it is true, it may greatly improve our chances of finding Zordon, and ending this whole matter." Even as he spoke, he rubbed his temples in obvious pain, and Ashley, who was closest, noticed.  
  
"Goodness, Trey, sit down before you fall down," she urged, leading him over to a nearby chair. "No offense, but you look as if you could faint any second."  
  
"My apologies," he said, with a faint smile. "I am still recovering from the ravages of Thiroldian flu. Humans are immune to it, but not Triforians. Right now, not much can be done about it."  
  
"So this plan of yours involves tracing these 'thorion particles' from the ship supposedly containing Zordon?" asked Carlos, squinting at the computer screen he was looking at.  
  
"Yes," answered Trey. "The ship last known to contain Zordon is the first of it's kind known to use thorion crystals as an energy source. They are highly rare and just as difficult to detect."  
  
"So what is the problem?" asked TJ, not knowing whit about thorion particles either.  
  
"As I mentioned, thorion particles are extremely difficult to detect. In fact, it is so hard, and because the crystals are used so rarely, the Pyramidas is the only vessel on Triforia equipped to perform a thorion sweep. And the sensors must be reset and retuned after each sweep. It is too big a job for me to handle alone, it would take far too long. I do know the Megaship is capeable also of detecting thorian particles, even better than my ship. So I am asking for your help in sweeping the local cluster of galaxies to try and detect Zordon's ship."  
  
"Of course we will help, Trey," said TJ. "Anything to find Zordon."  
  
"Oh, and one other person is helping in this search, " stated Trey, dragging up the reminder from the depths of his still-foggy mind. "I ran across that friend of yours who calles himself the Phantom Ranger. He also offered to help sweep the area for thorion particles."  
  
"Compliments from one mystery ranger to another?" asked TJ with a grin.  
  
Trey raised an eyebrow at him.  
  
"As you probably know by now, Tommy filled us in well on your past history on Earth," continued TJ. "He cannot write a story, but for a guy with a lousy memory, he sure can *tell* one!"  
  
Trey gave him a smile that would have passed for a faint smirk. "At least you are right about the storytelling phenomenon. Trust me, I have heard him also."  
  
"O-kayyyy," said Andros, changing the subject. "How are we to go about this?"  
  
"It is fairly simple, actually. Have DECA pull up a map of the local portion of the universe. I can point out areas I would like you to scan. I will then be going my own seperate ways to scan, and we can meet up back here later."  
  
Andros nodded, but looked serious. "Hold on, Trey. I know about the ravages of Thiroldian flu, those who catch it are slow to recover. No offense, but you don't look the healtiest, and maybe one of us should go with you, if recalibrating the sensors over and over again is as hard as you say. It would be even harder with a whanging headache."  
  
Trey shook his head, ignoring the spinning sensation the movement caused him. "I appreciate your concern, Andros, but I should not impsose on you so much. You are already doing me a great service by helping me track Zordon."  
  
He had obviously forgotten the generosity of some humans, for he was surprised when Ashley spoke up.  
  
"Nonsense," she stated. "You do need help, Trey. I will go with you, if that is all right. I have a fairly decent ability with mechanics, and I am good with my hands."  
  
"I can vouch for her on that one," said Andros, with a rare, spontaneous smile. "Ashley learned the engine room of the Megaship in a week flat. It took me months, and I myself am not that bad at mechanics. She would be good to take along."  
  
Trey found he lacked the strength to argue. "All right, Ashley, you may come along. Recalibrating the sensors is a difficult job, however."  
  
"I can learn. You are just too used to working alone, Trey."  
  
That he could not deny. Once again, it was a group of humans who had showed him that working with others was often of greater benefit and reward. The proof was right in front of him.  
  
"Fine," said Carlos, studying the maps on the computer readouts. "According to this, maybe we should start in....this galaxy." he indicated a small one near the Andromeda galaxy. "The best place there would be to start in what is known as the Vegra system in that galaxy."  
  
Cassie came to look over his shoulder. "Isn't that near where Aquitar is located?" she asked.  
  
"Yeah," said Carlos. "Tommy's old friend Billy lives there now, does he not? Maybe we could ask him to keep an ear out."  
  
"Is that wise?" asked TJ. "Tommy told me he was busy preparing to marry...Cestria, I think her name is, however according to the traditions Aquitians do such things."  
  
"Billy might be preparing, but not the rest of the Auqitian Rangers," said Andros. "I think we should ask."  
  
"Then let's get ready," said Cassie. Nods went around, and preparations were made to leave.  
  
TJ pulled Ashley onto the lift, out of earshot. "Okay, Ash. You volunteered to go, so try and find some way to tell him. Besides, it would be less akward if you told him, instead of a group. And you can sympathize with what he has gone through, because you also lost a sibling. Okay?"  
  
She nodded in understanding, mentally crossing her fingers and hoping for the best. "Okay, TJ."  
  
****  
  
A little later, Ashley and Trey materialized on board the Pyramidas. Having never seen any part of the pyramidas before, Ashley looked around in awe, whistling softly.  
  
"Whoa..." she whispered. "This place is incredible, and complex-looking. I almost wonder how Jason knew how to fly this thing."  
  
"Bonding with the Gold Powers gave him the knowledge to fly 'this thing' as you so gallantly put it," chuckled Trey weakly. "And looks are deceiving. It is actually pretty simple to fly the pyramidas. Besides, I am going to set it on autopilot so we can do our work." He reached over to a nearby console and hit a few buttons. "Check to see if your Galaxy Glider is on board yet."  
  
Ashley obediently walked over to a nearby console. She gave it a quick glance, then looked up, confused. "You would not so happen to have a translator on you, would you, Trey? I cannot read this language."  
  
Trey closed his eyes and sighed. "I forgot to set the computer to Standard again. My apologies, Ashley. I usually do that on a deep space mission." He tapped a nearby button. "Is that better?"  
  
The readouts in front of Ashley flickered for a moment, then realigned itself, the strange marks forming words that made sense. "Yes, that is much better, thank you," she said with a smile. "My Galaxy glider is in your 'storage area three' she said, indicating the screen. "That is, if I am reading this right."  
  
"You are," he assured her with a tired smile. He watched as Ashley sighed thoughtfully and leaned against the wall.  
  
"Trey, can I ask you something?"  
  
Go ahead."  
  
"How is it that the language you call Standard is the same as our English? Is it pure coincidence?"  
  
His own handsome features took on a thoughtful cast. "I don't think so, not entirely. The chances are too great in my opinion. Perhaps it is partially due to coincidence, but I also tend to think that it is also due to excessive alien interference in your people's history, despite a general not to interfere with..." he searched for an appropriate word. "...sheltered cultures."  
  
"You mean primitive," she said, not at all offended. She was too used to the fact by now. "But is our culture still so primitive to you, Trey?"  
  
"Not anymore," he shook his head. "Our sources for Earth culure are quite outdated by now, Ashley. I have never seen a civilization advance so fast, going from stone-age to space-age in just a few thousand years. Most other civilizations take much, much longer. Triforian civilization is almost seventy million years old, and it took that long to develop the culture we now have. Your planet has done in 75 years with computers what takes most culures over 1,000 years to do. Some are actually beginning to see possibilities in your planet."  
  
"You had better emphasize the words 'beginning to', Trey," said Ashley. "If earth is still on the primitive side, at least compared to most civilizations, then why, especially in the last five years, have evil aliens been hell-bent on conquering a little rock in space? Slavery? Riches?"  
  
He did not flinch at her strong language refrence. "Simple. Earth is a superb focus of magical power, because of it's location in the universe, and it's delicate balance within your system and with nearby stars. The major role here is your near-unique earth-moon balance, considering how big the other world is compared to yours. Such double-planets are very rare, and are among the best power sources for conjuring up magic, transdimensional portals, and the like."  
  
Ashley's eyes were wide. "Goodness. From what I've seen, Earth would seem to have little significance on a galactic scale."  
  
"But it does, Ashley, in many ways, not just on a galactic scale. Many of your most famous works of art, literature, and music are now famous also all over the known universe. I myself have a large collection of musical works from your planet. Besides, Zordon placed his trust in this world, and I trust his judgement. I myself have gotten to know several humans, and they are worthy friends." He smiled at her.  
  
"Thank--you," she whispered, blushing. "Shall we begin?"  
  
He nodded, and began to point out the various details of the sensors. "It is really quite simple. The basics are these...."  
  
****  
  
Ashley and Trey bent over their work, struggling with the sensors to detect throion particles in sweeps, over and over again. Trey had been right, it was hard, even though Ashley had picked up the concept of Triforian technology very quickly. Besides, every time the computer made a sweep, it insisted on faintly beeping, over and over again, in a way that began to irritate Ashley more and more...soon, she found herself with her own 'whanging headache'. She stopped after the last sweep and rubbed her temples, unsurprised to see out of the corner of her eye Trey unconsciously mirroring her gesture.  
  
"Trey, I hope you don't mind my suggesting a break for both of us. You look like a ghost, and I am sure your headache at least mirrors mine."  
  
He opened his mouth to object, too used to working despite how bad he might feel. But it did occur to him that what he had sensed out of Ashley during the sweeps--that feeling of intense dislike at that beeping sound that annoyed him also--would probably be more directed at him than the computer if he suggested otherwise, or if he continued while she sat. So he shut his mouth and nodded instead, in the end almost gratefully sinking into a chair.  
  
Ashley leaned forward in her chair, rubbing her temples and unsuccessfully trying to will the incessant pounding away.  
  
"Trey," she groaned at last. "Can your replicator or synthetron or whatever you call it produce the drug acetometaphine?"  
  
"If that is a human drug, then I do not know the answer to that question." he responded. "Most drugs outside of emergency drugs are outside of my realm of specialty. If you wish, though, you could ask the computer. Feel free to use the replicator if you wish it."  
  
Ashley nodded and turned to her console, working with the buttons thoughtfully. "Maybe you should take something yourself."  
  
"I do not often. Many painkilling drugs I am familiar with cause drowsiness, and I am tired enough already."  
  
Ashley looked at the computer, it could indeed reproduce what she wanted. "Then why not try what I am trying? I am not fond of drugs either, but I cannot concentrate. And acetometaphine does not make me tired."  
  
"There are also doubts of drug incompatibility, Ashley. I am not human."  
  
"But I bet you are close, physically." Ashley silently recalled how much Sharie resembled a human. "I could ask the computer to run a scan. If it is safe, would you try it? I have no doubt you would be as relieved to be rid of your headache as I would mine," she grimaced as the pounding increased.  
  
He still found himself lacking the strength to do anything but agree. "Perhaps. Go ahead."  
  
Ashley leaned back in her chair, rubbing her temples as the computer ran a scan on the medication. She was never so thankful for the fact the computer did *this* silently.  
  
"Drug compairson complete," the computer announced sweetly. "Results: The drug acetometaphine is non-toxic, safe for use by both Triforian and Human individuals. Recommended dosage-- two 250 mg. tablets every four to six hours."  
  
"Replicate some, then," Ashley said, trying not to sound like she was moaning the words.  
  
"How much is desired?"  
  
Ashley eyed the other occupant of the room. "You want to try this, or not?"  
  
He shrugged noncommitally. "I have nothing to lose." Truth was, he would do *anything* to get rid of this damned pounding....  
  
"Two doses," Ashley sighed at the computer. It buzzed softly, causing her to wince in pain, then four pills and two glasses of water (she hoped) appeared in a sparkle of clear light. She passed one dose to Trey and downed the other herself, tossing the glass in the recycler nearby and sinking back down in the chair, closing her eyes and reveling in the silence.  
  
Trey did the same, then sank down, too tired to do anything but stare, but hoping he did not fall asleep, which he did not need to do. He was never so amazed or grateful when, a few minutes later, his head began to clear and the pounding that had split his head from one end to the other faded, and then ceased altogether.  
  
"It worked," he stated, truly surprised. "Thank you, Ashley. My headache is gone. How do you feel?"  
  
"Much better, also. I hope we feel better enough to do more than gripe at each other about that annoying beep or how much our heads hurt, or your grunted answers to my questions."  
  
This time, he *did* laugh outright. "I hope so, also. I must admit, I was not very receptive to you, and I apologize, Ashley."  
  
"You were quite receptive to me, considering what you are going through. I was just as gripy." she chuckled, glad to be rid of the constant pounding. "Let's get back to work."  
  
****  
  
They had only had time for one more sweep when the computer interrupted their attempts to recalibrate the sensors again. "Warning! Emergency sensors detect approaching enemy vessles."  
  
"Identify," said Trey tightly, not excited about the interruption, either.  
  
"Barox warships," said the computer, as sugary as ever.  
  
*She sounds worse than DECA when *she* gets cute*, thought Ashley. She only said aloud, "Wonderful, just what we need."  
  
"I cuncur with that, wholeheartedly," muttered Trey. "Stay below, Ashley, you could get hurt." Crossing his wrists, he gave the cry, "Gold Ranger Power!" There was a flash of gold light as the power ensconded his body, then Trey was standing before her as the Gold Ranger.  
  
"I will *not* stay down here and do nothing," she said firmly. "I have my Galaxy Glider, and can help if necessary." She shook her wrist, letting her morpher fall out of hyperspace. She flipped it open, tapping in the numbers, "3,3,5" and the button that activated his morphing sequence, as she also gave her personal ranger cry, "Let's rocket!"  
  
She felt the familiar adrenaline rush as the energy from the morphin grid rushed through her body, surrounding her with its essence. In a flash of yellow light, she became the Yellow Ranger.  
  
"Okay, let's go!" Trey made his way into the main cockpit as Ashley went down into the engine room. Soon, she felt the pyramidas shake as Trey battled killer robots bent on destroying him.  
  
****  
  
It was still shaking a few minutes later when she finally got sick of it. She well remembered Tanya telling her about the other time they had dealt with the Barox.  
  
*Geez*, she thought. *These guys must have *some* weakness.*  
  
Suddenly, an idea occured to her. "Hmmm.....Astroscanners, online!"  
  
Scanners in her helmet came on. Looking out a nearby observaiton window, she scanned the warships for weak points. It was hard, for they were heavily armored, but she hoped not enough for what she had in mind. *There, on the underside of each ship....*  
  
"Trey!" she called over the comm system. "I have found a weakness on their ships! They seem to stand up to your weaponsfire, but their ships are not designed for unexpected AstroBlasts from a Starslinger. I have an idea. You distract them, and I will go out on my Galaxy Glider and shoot!"  
  
"Ashley!" he yelped, startled. "That is a surefire course to death!"  
  
"Do you have any better ideas? Or do you want to be shot down over another ocean?"  
  
"No," he sounded faintly bemused. "Okay, Ashley. Please, be careful. I would hate to lose a friend."  
  
"I will, Trey. I would hate to lose a friend, too." Hitting her teleporter, she disappeared, only to materialize in the storage bay where her Galaxy Glider was. She blasted out of the airlock and headed for the nearest warship. Trey was obviously keeping an eye on her, for he swooped down and distracted the ship, so the pilot did not notice her sneak in. She leaned forward on her toes, increasing her pace until she got close.  
  
"Starslinger!"  
  
*Andros, I am glad now you made us practice our aim so much*, she mused as her shot hit the target dead-on, causing sufficent damage to the vessel so Trey could finish it off on one easy blast.  
  
The next two ships were harder, for she had caught their attention. With a skill that came easily to a morphed Ranger, Ashley dodged the shots fired at her, glad when Trey once again distracted them. He had even managed to line them up so two rapid shots, one at each ship, from her Starslinger was all it took to fry them. Trey finished them off and Ashley returned to the storage bay, exhausted but triumphant.  
  
****  
  
As soon as she had docked, she demorphed and made her way back up to the sensor room where she had been before the whole mess had started. Trey was already there, demorphed and waiting for her.  
  
"Congratulations, Ashley!" he greeted her. "You really are good, not only at mechanichs, but at fighting skills, as well. Remind me to build one of those Galaxy Gliders for myself. They have proven to be handy."  
  
"Sure," she yawned tiredly. "Let's get back to work, Trey. Excuse my yawning, adrenaline rushes would tire anyone."  
  
He nodded in complete understanding as they fell once again to struggling with the sensors. Once again, also, the sound drove Ashley crazy, until she found herself humming a nonessential tune to keep herself from going insane. She *still* did not know how she was going to tell Trey she knew about his sister....  
  
"What are you humming?" he asked, distractedly. He was just as tired of those damned sensors, she thought.  
  
"Something Andros taught me. He said it was a kid song his sister used to like, before..." Ashley quickly tried to dive away from the refrence. "It got going in my head, and that beeping sound was driving me so insane I started humming it. I apologize if it bothers you, and I will stop."  
  
"That is all right. I would rather listen to that than the computer."  
  
"You should hear Cassie. She is the singer." That was all Ashley could think to say, as silence once again reigned, and they worked.  
  
*How am I going to tell Trey his sister is alive?*  
  
****  
  
They struggled unsuccessfully with the sensors for another hour before Ashley got really tired of it again. She knew that even Trey, patient as he was, was not very happy with his zord at the moment.  
  
"Mind if I get any water?" she asked, stretching and yawning. It must be getting late in the morning by now. *I will never awaken at five again for *anybody*, I swear...*  
  
"Go ahead. Anything you wish is yours to use."  
  
She smiled involuntarily at his generosity, making her way over to the replicator and getting a glass of water from it. She leaned against the wall and drank it, her eyes growing distant, grateful again for the silence of the computer. Unbidden, her other hand came up and started fondling with the locket she still wore. After the disaster of two and a half weeks ago, she had never been able to bring herself to remove it from her neck. It still hurt too much.  
  
When she realized what she was doing--again--she sighed and dropped her hand, not appreciating the memories of Clyde springing up before her eyes. *You have *got* to get more sleep, girl, and lose your newfound dependence on that locket. It has been over two weeks. Surely you can take it off....*  
  
But she could not. What Astronema had done to her and Andros...it was still too raw, too painful. She was glad Trey had not been there. He surely could not have handled something like that. He had suffered a triple whammy in a few short years, losing his father, sister, and mother, whom Ashley had learned recently had also vanished a couple of months after she sent her daughter away. *I wonder if his duties as a Ranger an as the Lord of Trifoiria are what keeps his sanity intact...That happened to me, and just in time....*  
  
No, she could not remove her locket. Not yet. Not until she felt ready. *Oh, Clyde, if only you were here...*  
  
Ashley swallowed and mentally jerked herself out of it. She glanced at Trey, he was not even messing with the sensors. He had that distant, sad look in his eyes again that she had seen before, and could not stand to see. *Maybe my taking a break was not such a good idea....I guess silence affects him the wrong way, too...*  
  
She slapped her forehead, willing away the memories that had threatened to overwhelm her. *I have really got to stop thinking about this...*  
  
Trey was not too lost in his own thoughts to notice Ashley's seeming impatience. "Are you okay, Ashley?" he asked gently, partially coming out of his trance and seeing her drop her locket again, from where she had been playing with it.  
  
"Hm?" she asked. "Oh, yeah, Trey. I am okay. It is just...bad memories, that is all. What happened a few weeks ago to Andros and I does...not go away easily." Ashley shook her head, but the images of the car crash, and a lingering sense of guilt, still danced at the corners of her vision. *Am I going completely insane here? What a subject to talk about...but it may be the right one to get to the subject I need to tell him about...*  
  
"I understand," he whispered, more quietly than she had expected. He knew of Clyde. "It must be hard, for you, losing someone you are close to like that."  
  
It was said more for her comfort than his convience, for she did not miss the tightening of his tone. She was not sure how to phrase a reply right that would not hurt him more.  
  
"No, it is not easy, living with guilt that eats you alive. It is a nightmare that never ends, only eases up as time passes." Ashley had dropped her locket, but still had her hand at the base of her neck, where she could feel her pulse thumping with suppressed memory and nervousness at what she had to tell him.  
  
"Not always," he muttered, unbidden. "But it was not your fault, Ashley, from what I heard."  
  
Ashley found herself unable to stop the sudden rush of tears to her eyes, but she held them back. "I know that--logically, anyway. Emotionally-- that is harder to accept." She reached up and ran her fingers over her eyes, before she could cry. "You and I both know that all too well."  
  
It was out of her mouth before she realized that she had said it. *Great. That was not how I planned...* He looked at her, startled. Color flooded her face, and she could not resist as his eyes found hers--and held. He did not have to read her mind, the truth was in her eyes. "You--know, don't you, Ashley," he said quietly, the pain evident behind his own dark gaze.  
  
She swallowed, only managing a nod. He reached up, touching her chin lightly, his eyes never leaving hers--until he turned sharply and walked across the room, staring blankly at a readout.  
  
"I knew," she whispered at last, barely audiable, "But I was not sure what to say to you."  
  
"I never talk about her," he said, though gritted teeth. "It is too painful--how did you know?"  
  
"Carlos and TJ know from Tommy. He told them. And not only of the fact of your sister's disappearance--how it happened, too. He pretty much knows the whole sordid story." Ashley hoped--sincerely *hoped*--she was doing the right thing.  
  
He swallowed, before turning sharply to face her again. His dark eyes were blazing with suppressed pain. "I never told Tommy, or any of the other Rangers. How did he...know, unless he went and--"  
  
She disclaimed the thought before he could voice it. "Tommy is no snoop, Trey. What he found while going over some files Billy had downloaded was by accident." Before she lost her nerve, she told him, in a rush of words, what she knew about the file, but did not yet mention Sharie was alive.  
  
When she was done, she watched him get up and pace for a full minute, before looking at her with a hurt gaze again. She was startled that she saw no disbelief in his eyes or words. "My own mother knew? She *knew*, and she did not tell me? Did she not even trust me to protect my own sister?! Did she have to send an innocent child out into space, and most likely *die*?!"  
  
Ashley held up a hand, stopping his ranting before he could get too furious. He did stop, but for the first time, she saw tears in his eyes, besides the pain she had often seen in his dark gaze.  
  
"It was not that she did not trust you, Trey, she did, with all her soul. She felt that it was unlikely that even you could prevent your sister from being killed if she had not done what she had done. And she did not tell you because you would have forbidden her to carry out such an act. She felt like she was taking the only possible action that had even a remote chance of sparing your sister...please, Trey, don't blame her unjustly. I would be angry, too, but I read it from her point of view. I could not be."  
  
He closed his eyes and gritted his teeth, but his initial shock of anger was gone when he opened his eyes agian. Trey was that type of person who almost never held a grudge--especially against those he loved. "I won't--I don't, now, I suppose. You are right, and I loved both of them too much to pin that kind of anger and blame on them. But this all changes nothing, for it is almost certain my sister is dead."  
  
Ashley drew in a deep breath. *Here goes...* "Trey...how would you feel if she were alive, and you could see her again?"  
  
"I would be positively, eternally grateful. I have never given up looking for her, but..."  
  
She laid a finger over his lips, cutting him off. "Trey, I expect the time has come to tell you this...Sharie Jeanette Triesta, face like yours, powers resembling yours, a three-moon pendant around her neck, blonde hair and purple eyes...she is alive, well, and I personally know her."  
  
He stared at her, utterly shocked into silence. What surprised Ashley again was the lack of disbelief she saw in his eyes--his trust in her was astounding.  
  
Finally, his jaw unlocked, and the stumbling words came out, "Sharie...alive...how?"  
  
As fast as she could, Ashley related how they had met Sharie and the detective work the boys had done. "I feel guilty for prying, Trey, but Carlos...well, in the end, they were all determined to tell you. Sharie does not know as yet, for we have not told her."  
  
Nervously she brushed her hair out of her eyes, eyeing Trey warily, still afraid of some unbidden reaction he could make. She sensed that each word she spoke slammed him harder and harder--and who could blame them?  
  
"Also, thanks to that six-year-waiting law your planet has with children, she has no idea that you are the Gold Ranger." She spoke quickly now, seeing new guilt flash behind his eyes and determined to stop it. "But what I can tell you, beyond a shadow of a doubt, is that she wants to see you again, be with you...and badly. She wants you back in her life, Trey, more than anything else...but she thinks you are dead, and believes herself to be blamed."  
  
"She....she can't blame herself!....how can she think this is her fault....?"  
  
"I know the kind of things I've seen shadowing in her eyes. She's livid with the pain, and the guilt. It's *terrible*, Trey, and she needs you, I think, more than I've ever known anybody to need another person in my life. Especially after what's happened to you both."  
  
His grip on her shoulders had tightened while she had spoken, but at her description of the mental anguish his sister was in, she saw something behind his dark eyes snap. They filled with the tears of agony he could no longer fight to suppress, which was what he had done all those years.  
  
"*Sharie*....gods.....*how could it have ended up like this?! If only I'd known where......"  
  
His trembling lips failed to form any more words. Two lone tears, so long unshed for well over a decade, overflowed from his dark eyes and sparkled down his face before he could stop them. Shocked, his hands flew up to wipe them away.....he was crying about it....he'd never cried about it before.....  
  
Ashley could see him struggling to stop the flow of tears, she could see him trying to lock it all back as she sensed that, like Sharie, he was so used to doing. Clearly recalling her pain over Clyde and how badly she'd handled it, she would not have it here.  
  
"Stop it! Don't do that...." she whispered. "Just cry, Trey. It's all right...."  
  
Rather violently he shook his head, the only sound he made were dry rasping gasps as he continued to struggle for control. His lips trembled more violently, and he struggled to speak, to deny--but she covered his fingers with her lips.  
  
"I've quickly come to know her as a wonderful person, Trey, no matter all the pain coursing through her," she said softly. "When you see her, too, you'll be as proud of her as any older brother can be, I'm sure of it......because you *will* be with her again. She wants it so much...."  
  
That did it.  
  
Her words snapped his control. A violent sudder seized his frame, and his eyes overflowed again. Silently Ashley offered him her quiet support. She gently wrapped her arms around him, grateful he made no move to resist. He had no more willpower *to* resist, only laying his head on her shoulder and crying without the pain easing, crying for all the years lost, crying for what might have been.....all without making a single sound.  
  
****  
  
While this had all been happening, things had been much more routine on the Megaship. They did not have as much trouble with the sensors, and the Aquitian Rangers had promised to keep an eye out. The only un-routine thing they had come across was the Phantom Ranger, who had been conducting his own fruitless search. After several hours of this, though, they were beginning to think their efforts were for naught.  
  
Just as they were about to give up and take a break, however, the computer began beeping incessantly.  
  
"Thorion particles detected," announced DECA cheerily.  
  
TJ, glad for the distraction from worrying about Ashley, pounced on it. "Locate, DECA."  
  
"Beta Quadrant, Milky Way Galaxy."  
  
"So close to home?" asked Cassie.  
  
"Isn't it just like Dark Spectre to pull something like this on us?" wondered Carlos out loud. "We go on what is almost a wild goose-chase, and then what we are looking for ends up, literally in our backyard."  
  
That is the way things sometimes are, unfortunately." Andros heaved a sigh. "DECA, set a course."  
  
****  
  
When Trey did stop shaking at last, Ashley still did not move as she felt him relax somewhat. Her intuition told her that he was probably full of questions, and she would be the one to answer them when he was ready to spring them on her.  
  
When he did move, he only pulled back slightly, running a hand over his tear-soaked face.  
  
"We--we have to talk, Ashley." he managed. He was probably somewhat embarrassed at his outburst--but she did not blame him, had even been sort of expecting it. His fit of crying..it was probably the best thing he could have done for himself. She saw that the pain in his eyes did not abate, but maybe now, after such an emotional release, he would be better equipped to handle his painful past.  
  
"I know you have a lot of questions about Sharie, and I will answer what I can," she assured him, glad to see his lips quirk in response. Then her brow furrowed. "But there are a few things I must ask first."  
  
"Anything. Go ahead."  
  
"You are not upset with us for...prying, are you? Carlos...well, 'infatuated' is not the right term, maybe....'lovesick' is better. He and Sharie...have feelings for each other, but I think she is afraid. He was concerned about the pain she was in, and was trying to find out why. But I am afraid the amount of...looking things up was excessive."  
  
He shook his head, his lips quirking slightly--Carlos, besotted over his sister? "No, I am not upset, because of the results. And I understand that you were concerned. Really, Ashley, I am eternally grateful to you all for what you have done. Nobody could ask for better friends than you."  
  
"Thank you. We hated to see you in pain, Trey. Andros, especially, knew that this was something that had to come out. He said that if even one of you two had the chance to find your missing sisters, he was all for getting you two together."  
  
Trey gave her a faint, sad smile before he started firing questions. Ashley answered with what she did know about her new friend, from how she had grown up to the strangeness of her powers. "How did she get those, anyway? She said her mother gave them to her..."  
  
Trey shook his head in bafflement. "That may be, Ashley. Sharie would not lie, but although our mother never mentioned she had any other powers--she was the gold ranger before I was--I have little doubt she may have actually had them, and was keeping them secret for some reason. She was that type, and if the powers are as powerful as you say, then she may have had good reason for her secrecy."  
  
"But the helmet design?" asked Ashley. "It is exactly like yours. Even her power staff looks like yours--except it is a violet-purplish color where the black should be."  
  
Trey looked thoughtful for a minute. "There is an old story among my people, about your Zeo Crystal at one time being much larger than it was by the time Humans came around to using it. The story goes to say that it splintered into many pieces and was scattered over many planets, in the known and unknown universe. The part that came to Triforia somehow splintered again, but remained magically linked in a way that it was soon known as the 'crystal of the three sisters'. Then, one day, they were caught in some strange energy matrix for a reason lost to history. Only one crystal was rescued, the one that was later used to create the Gold Ranger powers. The other two are said to be well-hidden in unexplored depths of our planet. It is an old story, one almost never told anymore. I know of few others who do, also." He glanced at Ashley, and saw the utter disbelief on her face.  
  
"Your civilization is almost 70 million years old?" she asked. "And you still have unexplored territory? On your world?"  
  
He nodded. "Yes, Ashley. Believe it or not, there are only about three hundred million of us scattered on a planet seven times larger than Earth's. How much room do you think we would need? Besides, large areas are kept mysterious for our own reasons, to remind us of our roots. Every now and then, an explorer goes into some jungle or other and comes out, raving about the places he has seen--then they forget after a few generations and go back again."  
  
Ashley shrugged. "Then I can wonder that your mother must have found the Zeo Violet Powers and decided to keep them hidden for some reason."  
  
Trey nodded. "I expect so. I will never know why."  
  
The comm system sent off a signal then, Ashley got up off the floor before even Trey could, wondering if the signal was from the Megaship. She glanced at the logo, then nodded to him as he rose to his feet. Her startled gasp a moment later, though, brought him fast across the room to her side.  
  
"Trey!" she cried. "It is from the others! They ran into a battle in the Milky Way Galaxy, your sister was there and tried to help them, but something strange happened, and she and Carlos are *missing*!"  
  
****  
  
It had not taken the megaship long to reach the Milky Way Galaxy. As soon as they entered the Beta Quadrant, they set out to find the source of the thorion particles, setting the sensors again for tracking the rare substance.  
  
Sharie had not been long in returning from her mission and getting back to Earth at that point. When she got there, her contacts withing the evil realm of Dark Spectre informed her that Astronema and the leader of the Evil Alliance, Dark Spectre himself, were planning something diabolical, and it involved the possible destruction of the Lightstar Rangers. No sooner had she docked than she was out again, looking for them, only knowing she had to warn them before disaster struck...especially Carlos.  
  
*Carlos...* His name still made her heart pound. She felt as if she had known him forever, and was almost frightened at the intensity at which her feelings kept growing. It was so hard to believe, she had only known him for a few days...would it be so awful, really, to *try* and take things further? She was almost certain he felt the same way. Even now, she did not dare reach out her mind to his, but she knew she would instantly realize it if something happened to him.  
  
*And I thought I could never feel this way. I thought this ability to feel...was killed in me forevermore, since I have lost so much...Carlos, I am so afraid of...loving you...I only hope you feel the same way!*  
  
She wanted to try it. She had wanted almost nothing else more than she wanted to try something with Carlos. It was not forbidden, even for her family. The only hitch was, few started so young, when they had 50,000 years to find love...*And so what? I can never go back...If Carlos is interested....should I try?*  
  
She closed her eyes, coming to a decision, for her heart beat even faster, in a way she could not ignore.  
  
Her heart was beating "yes!" with every thump.  
  
*Then I know I must. Trey, I want you to be proud of me...*  
  
Which she did. Even after nearly twelve years, she missed him more than anything, he had been there for her the first five years of her life, her best friend, her guide, the one she developed such a close, unbreakable bond with, from the first time she had looked upon him after her birth. She had been extremely lucky, few siblings managed to have such a bond.  
  
And it had made losing him all the worse. That silent, orange-white explosion had rocked her cloaked craft as she hurtled toward an unknown destination, was forever burned into her memory at many times the intensity of the searing heat of the explosion itself...searing the image, the knowledge, and the pain into her soul, deeply into a place where it could never be dislodged, but came roaring up nonetheless, to torment her in her dreams and when she was awake.  
  
Like now. She had not realized how it had crept up on her again, seizing her and making her shake, but she shook her head, willing the images back down. Now was not the time to mull over it, which she rarely allowed herself to do anymore anyways. Rangering was her escape, and if she got the chance, maybe Carlos would also help her ease her agonizing pain, like he had temporarily done when she had told them all the other day. He would never realize what his silent support had done for her.  
  
A wailing siren snapped her out of her thoughts. "What is going on?" she asked the computer on board her warship.  
  
"Battle site ahead," announced the masculine voice calmly.  
  
"Bring it up onscreen." Sharie bit back a groan as she witness the Megaship battling several ships typical of Dark Spectre's followers.  
  
*Great, just great!* she fumed inwardly. *I was too late to even warn them. I just hope I am not too late to *help* them.*  
  
"Open a comm channel to the Megaship," she ordered her computer. "Lightstar Rangers, this is the Violet Ranger. I have monitored your situation and am prepared to come to your aid."  
  
"Sharie?" her heart thumped, it was Carlos. "Boy, are we glad you are here, Querida."  
  
*Querida?* she thought, smiling slightly.  
  
He continued, "Yes, we need help, pretty badly. And hurry, please. I am not sure how much more the Megaship can take here."  
  
"Keep an open comm channel with me, Carlos. Computer, lock Zeolasers on the ship nearest to the Megaship and fire!"  
  
"Firing." A white-hot beam of energy blasted out of her ship and hit the opposing side dead-on. To her shock, though, they had no effect except to make it look around to see who had fired. Her ship was cloaked, thankfully she could not be seen or sensed. But stories of the mysterious Violet Ranger and her powers must have made their rounds faster than she had thought, if the ships had already been updated....  
  
Quickly, she brought up the scanners. The only possible weak spots she could detect were untouchable by her lasers, but not her Power Staff, or her Zeo Pistol type 6. But she would need help. And she could not have known that Ashley had recently done the same thing with some Barox ships as what she had in mind...  
  
"Guys, it will be hard, but this is what I have in mind..." she related her plan.  
  
"Sharie?" asked Carlos uncertainly. "I hope you do not plan to do this alone."  
  
She sighed. She had not told them that part, because a large part of her was insisting that she should not place them in danger. "You could get killed if you tried to go with me, Carlos. I cannot ask you to risk your life like that." She meant it. To lose him was one thing she did not want to think about right now.  
  
"Too bad, Querida. It looks nasty out there, you would be killed trying to do this stunt alone. I am coming with you. I assume you have a device like our galaxy gliders?"  
  
Based upon his tone, there was no talking him out of this one. "Yes, it is called the Zeo Universal Surfer."  
  
"Great, I will be over soon." The comm channel clicked off, and Sharie rested her forehead on her fist for a moment. "Oh, Carlos, do you realize what you are getting yourself into with me?"  
  
Querida. Querida was Spanish for Beloved....  
  
****  
  
When Carlos turned away from the Comm system, TJ was looking at him almost expectantly.  
  
"Okay, Carlos. Since you are the closest to Sharie, I think it should be you who tells her the truth, once we get through this. I don't know why, but I have a strong feeling that Ashley has already told Trey the truth by now."  
  
Carlos nodded, resiging himself to the fact that while he felt so strongly about her, it would be difficult to admit he had known about her past all along. He still worried about what she would say to him after he told her-- would she reject him for being so nosy? Or be angry at him for keeping something like this from her? He felt so stronly for her ('lovesick' TJ had called him) but he *hated* seeing the agony he had seen in those hypnotic violet-purple eyes of hers. He would give absolutely *anything* to see those eyes fill up with joy...  
  
Once Carlos teleported over to Sharie's ship, she looked at him for a long moment before taking his hand in hers and pulling him over to a computer console, where she outlined what she wanted him to do.  
  
"Are you *sure* you want to do this with me, Carlos? These people are amazingly unpredicatable, I would much rather it be me than you who is killed." His heart picked up considerable pace at the tenderness which filled her gaze for him.  
  
"Sorry, Sharie, I am coming," he said firmly, but his inky-black eyes just as tender. Gods, but how much he wanted to lean in the last few inches that seperated their lips and kiss her....but they had a job to do. It was all he could do to mask what he was feeling and pull away, so they could prepare...  
  
****  
  
A few minutes later, they blasted off, fully morphed and ready for action. Approaching the first ship, Sharie aimed her Power Staff at the most vulnerable spot and fired. It was enough for a visible chain reaction to begin, the windows flickered, and the scanners on her helmet told her that there was massive internal damage, but not enough to tear the ship apart. But for now, it was crippled.  
  
Carlos watched, then swooped in to repeat the action with the Zeo Laser Pistol she had loaned him. It hit the other ship with a force that did similar damage. Carlos could not quite suppress the thrill of success.  
  
The first ship was obviously angry, for it suddenly summoned the energy to turn on Carlos and fire directly at him. Sharie's heart just about stopped. *Carlos, I should never have let you out here...*  
  
She felt a mixture of relief and concern when the shot proved to miss him, but did hit his glider, knocking him off and sending him tumbling through the empty vaccuum of space.  
  
"Sharie!" he yelped. "Help!"  
  
"I am coming, Carlos!" she called, swinging around and diving after him. She grabbed him before he had drifted too far, but his Galaxy glider, helped along by the force of the blast, went out of range.  
  
Sharie pulled him onto her Surfer. "Hold on tight, Carlos, " she said, glad he could not see her flush when an arm slid around her waist as he steadied himself on the unfamiliar Surfer. "My scanners tell me that the second ship is building up Reysyon rays, I think they plan to send us off into another dimension."  
  
"*What*?" was all he had time to sputter before a white blast engulfed them, hurtling them into unconsciousness and letting everything go black....  
  
****  
  
A loud gasp sounded on the bridge of the Megaship. Everyone turned to see Cassie looking at the screen in horror. "They're gone!" she cried. "What happened? Where are they?"  
  
Andros came over to look over her shoulder at the readings. "The other ship hit them with Reysyon rays. They have most likely been teleported to another dimension." he stiffend with decision. "TJ, send a message to Trey and Ashley. They should know what happened. Tell them we are temporarily aborting our mission to look for our missing teammates."  
  
****  
  
On board the Pyramidas, Ashley groaned as she listened to a second message from Andros. The pyramidas was already in top hyperush, traveling as fast as they dared push the engines to be of assistance. Thankfully, they were almost there.  
  
"Another dimesion?" Ashley groaned. "Oh, great. Now what do we do?"  
  
"I am not sure," answered Trey somberly. "I have no transdimensional portals, and I have limited knowledge of magic--no more than a few low- level spells, I'm afraid. Nothing special for a dimensional crossing. And Reysyon rays are only used to get to dimensions that cannot be reached by teleportation beam alone. It is hard to imagine, but they exist."  
  
"When we get back to the Megaship, we had better go back on board," said Ashley. "Maybe then we could figure out something."  
  
Trey nodded and swallowed. "Okay, Ashley...if you somehow meet with my sister before I do, and she knows the truth by then...tell her I love her and want to see her...please."  
  
Ashley gave him a warm smile. "Of course, Trey."  
  
****  
  
Within a few minutes, they had reached the battlesite, where they teleported over to the Megaship, directly to the bridge.  
  
"Boy, are we glad that you are here," said TJ. He leaned over and whispered to Ashley, "Did you manage to tell him?"  
  
"Yes," she said aloud, for Trey was nearby. "He knows now, TJ. And he says he is...glad to know."  
  
Trey nodded assent, not trusting his voice. TJ looked relieved.  
  
"Come on, then," he said. "Let's find Carlos and Sharie."  
  
****  
  
Sharie awoke abruptly, for it was a dull pain in her stomach that yanked her out of the black depths she had been trapped in. She opened her eyes and pressed her hands to her flat abdomen, trying to remember how she got here....  
  
Memory hit her like a thunderbolt. She sat up abruptly, ignoring her aching body, and looked down at her slender form. She was unmorphed. She turned, not caring that pain speared her joints as she looked around frantically for Carlos. She spied him a few feet away, unmorped also. Her heart gave a painful lurch as she saw that he was hurt, and a cut had caused blood to seep down the side of his face. He was out cold.  
  
Getting slowly to her feet, making sure she could stand, Sharie could see she was in what could only be described as a long hallway. No one else was around, she sensed nobody else was nearby, even expanding her telepathic range to make sure. She lowered it again and turned to Carlos, stumbling over to him and laying her hands on his shoulders, softly calling his name.  
  
At her gentle touch, he moved, moaning softly, his dark eyes fluttering open. He looked at her, dazed, for a moment, before she saw recognition and memory fill those black depths.  
  
"Is *this* the other dimension, Querida?" he groaned, sitting up painfully while she pulled him to his feet, then gingerly touching the cut on the side of his forehead. "Ow. This feels worse than color withdrawl. But I am wearing plenty of black. My head is not just buzzing...it is pounding.  
  
"I'm afraid so. We are alone, and I sense no one else is around. No, it is not color withdrawl. You are still connected to the Morphin Grid through the color of your clothes, don't worry."  
  
"Can we get out of here?"  
  
"I am not sure. We cannot teleport because of the nature of Reysyon-based dimensions. As for magic...I am no sorceress, but I know of one spell that might work, but we would need to be outside of...wherever we are to do it."  
  
"Then let's start looking for an exit," he encouraged her, starting down the corridor to the left.  
  
They walked in silence for awhile. Carlos did not notice anything was wrong with Sharie until he saw her fold her arms. She was shivering. He stopped and pulled her against him, he got the feeling that her shivering was more than mere coldness.  
  
"What is the matter, Sharie? You can tell me."  
  
"It is nothing, Carlos, really," she shivered through chattering teeth. But he persisted.  
  
"I am not entirely sure..." she said at last. "I just...I feel so...helpless, I guess. For me, Carlos, helplessness is akin to uselessness."  
  
*I should have thought....* "I do not see why you would think that..." he murmured, tilting her chin up and looking into her eyes. What he saw there jolted him with reality. "This has to do with your brother, right? You felt so helpless and useless during that time....and no wonder you would feel that way..."  
  
"Please, don't..." she whispered,trying to tug away from him, but he knew the time had come. She could not be kept in this agony any longer. What a way for a child to grow up, to never have a normal, secure childhood, but one burdened by guilt, horror, and pain--it was time for it to end.  
  
He swallowed. *Here goes nothing...*  
  
"Sharie..." he stumbled, before gaining a foothold on his words. "There is something I must confess to you. I know who you are, Querida. I know about Trey. You are Sharie Triesta, Princess of Triforia. Trey is your brother, the Lord of Triforia."  
  
Carlos heard her faint gasp, and she jerked away from him as though she had been burned. "*Why*, Carlos?" she choked, her eyes blazing with shock and surprised pain at his unexpected confession, and--to his pain--slightly accusatory. "Why would you try to find out such a thing? Trey is almost certianly dead, and the past is more painful than you could ever understand. Why even bring it up?"  
  
"Because, Sharie, I am trying to tell you your brother is very much alive."  
  
The last of her color drained from her face, and she stumbled backwards until her back was against the opposing wall. Her eyes locked with his, he saw no disbelief in her gaze, but she wanted an explanation, and her eyes were begging him silently to not lie to her. He came over and tilted her chin up, whispering, "Do you remember the Gold Ranger?"  
  
Shivering, she nodded.  
  
"Did you ever find out who he was?"  
  
"No..." she stumbled. "I had to leave...then I was in space for so long...but he was so familiar..." her large eyes widened in stunned comprehension before he could even voice the thought, though he did to just confirm it, if nothing else. "The Gold Ranger is none other than your brother, Trey. I have met him myself, he is a friend."  
  
Numbly, Sharie sank to the ground against the corridor wall, burying her face in her arms, shaking like a leaf. "How...I saw the station explode...we were losing the war...I did not want to leave, but she made me go...."  
  
Carlos knelt beside her, his own heart twisting at her agony, but she had to face the reality of the whole situation, she had to face up to her past. "Your people won the war, Sharie. Trey has been looking for you for many years. He never spoke of it himself, but I could see a pain about him-- sensed it at odd times. From what I have found out, his love for you and his agony over losing you were so powerful...." Carlos shook his head, failing to find words to describe what he knew he wanted to implore to her.  
  
She lifted her eyes to meet his, her glazed-over gaze imploring him. "Truly? Are--are you sure?"  
  
He told her the complete truth. "Yes, I have seen the pain in his eyes...after he lost you and later, your mother...he became driven...his grief, like yours, is agonizing...and it is obvious he loves you very much."  
  
Sharie shook her head violently. "No, Trey! No, no!"  
  
Carlos heard a heaving sound tearing from her chest, a dry, tearless sob. "Trey mustn't tear himself up, even over me! That's my burden alone to carry, not his! He's faced enough in his lifetime!"  
  
She only vaguely felt Carlos's arms slip gently around her as she whispered, even more faintly, "Trey....please....oh Trey!"  
  
Carlos rocked her gently, aware that she was shaking and still not crying....and also aware that she desperately wanted to, but was holding it back.  
  
"Maybe now, Querida, you can give him back his dreams....and restore a few of your own. You at last can be with each other again."  
  
Her fingers spasmed where she gripped his arms, and she raised her head to look into his eyes--he noticed that her large purple ones were now filled with tears.  
  
"I don't have any dreams left, Carlos. I haven't had any, not really, since that monster who took me broke my soul into infintesimal pieces.....but Trey must dream again, have no more nightmares like the ones I've had....."  
  
"He will again, Querida, when he sees you again. If you are the person you've shown me to be.....you both will again."  
  
He saw her soundlessly gasp at his words, and something about them must have unlocked or snapped an area deep within her. For a few moments, the glazed look that prevented him from seeing so much melted away......sparkling instead with the tears that not only filled her eyes, but ran over, unchecked.  
  
A shocked look crossed her face, and she made one vailent move to wipe them away.  
  
"No, Querida," Carlos admonished, catching her hand. Gently he pulled her slender frame against his own, and felt a violent shudder of defeat course her frame....and then her quiet sigh. Her face came to rest against his chest, and his shirtfront soaked with her tears, as she cried for everything that was, that was lost, and what could have been....all without making one more sound.  
  
****  
  
Back on the Megaship, Ashley had finally succeeded in locating the dimension where Sharie and Carlos had vanished to, their Power Signatures were active, indicating they were alive, but unmorphed. At the same time, Andros and Trey had worked hard to fix up a modification of the teleporters, adding Reysyon substitues so Ashley could teleport in and get the two missing rangers to come with her back to their home dimension.  
  
Warning sirens wailed.  
  
"Not *again*," groaned TJ. "There are monsters and Quantrons on one of the public beaches by Angel Grove. Anyone there has fled, but the monsters are just jumping around making noise. What do we do, Andros?"  
  
"We should probably split up. Ashley's suit has already been modified, she could go into the other diemension and get our friends while we go and see about those goons on your beach."  
  
"Okay..." said TJ doubtfully. "Ash, you go find Carlos and Sharie. The rest of us will go and try to take care of those creeps. Trey, we could use your help."  
  
He nodded. "I will help any way I can."  
  
"I am ready to go," said Ashley softly. Her eyes met Trey's in silent understanding before Andros activated the teleporation beam. She vanished in a column of sparkly yellow light that carried her molecules across the boundaries of space and dimensions.  
  
****  
  
Sharie's tears had finally ceased, and Carlos had held her for several minutes before she had pulled back and started firing questions even more rapidly than Trey had almost interrogated Ashley. He answered, telling her what he knew and asking, hesistantly, if she was upset with his apparent nosiness.  
  
"No!" she surprised him with her declaration. "No, Carlos, indeed, I will always be grateful for what you had the heart to do. I do not know what else to say...except Thank you. From the very depths of my soul, *thank you*."  
  
He smiled gently down into her eyes, his face mere inches from hers. "It is worth the trouble of worrying, Querida, for I am glad to finally see happiness in your beautiful eyes."  
  
"Querida," she whispered, overcome by understanding...and something much more as her pulse began to skyrocket. "Querida means Beloved..."  
  
"Si," he whispered, eyes smoldering, "It does."  
  
He did not realize he had leaned closer until, to his surprise and hers, his firm lips were pressed gently against her soft ones. Startled, he pulled back, unsure of what she was going to say.  
  
"Carlos..." her pupils were dialated, with a sudden passion and a new awareness of what it means to truly fall in love with someone. She had kissed boys before--dating as a social interaction to keep her family satisfied--but they had never affected her, until now. It was not easy for a Triforian to fall in love, and when they did, it was not easy to break the bond formed.  
  
And she was no longer afraid.  
  
Carlos could not ignore what her eyes were asking him to do, and he wanted it so badly himself it was torture to restrain his movements. He leaned in again and covered her soft, full mouth with his again, fire bolting down his spine when she responded, gently at first, then with increasing fire. She became passionate so fast his head whirled. He had not realized that beneath that controlled exterior a person of such passion and fire could exist...not that he minded. He groaned softly and slid his arms around her, crushing her against him.  
  
She responded hotly, pressing her frame against his and opening her lips to his probing tongue. Was this what it was like? Passion? She had had no idea it was even possible for it to go to such depths...  
  
At the last moment, and none too soon, reality intervened enough to bring them back down from Cloud Nine. Carlos lifted his mouth from hers, gasping, and stared at her in wonder.  
  
"I wonder if Querida is the right name for you," he rasped. "Flame is a better name. I have *never* kissed anybody like that...."  
  
"Stick to Querida," she said wryly. "And neither have I, not with that intensity. But seeing as it did not return us home, we had better get going."  
  
Carlos could not resist kissing her one more time, briefly, before they stood. "I guess you are right. Let's get out of here." They had barely started walking before he stopped again. "I really must ask one more thing. Do you blame your mother for sending you out here?"  
  
She looked at him, startled for a moment, before shaking her head. "I was at first. For several months, I was angry. But I knew she was dead, I saw the station blow...my adoptive parents helped me to see that she had done it out of love, not out of spite. I would also be dead by now, no doubt." she looked at Carlos thoughtfully. "Do you still have that confession she wrote?"  
  
He nodded. "Do you want to read it?"  
  
"Yes, just so I know...for myself, what was going through her mind."  
  
"Why did you not sense what was going through *my* mind? Sharie, even with your mental barriers, you are not completely impervious, I am sure. The journal said you had a rare gift for menal abilities, even among your people. Few could exceed your power."  
  
She shrugged. "I might have, I just...."  
  
They were interrupted by a shout. "Carlos, Sharie!"  
  
They turned, and it was a welcome relief to see Ashley running down the corridor toward them. She reached them and had no reservations about hugging both tightly. "Am I glad to see you! I came after you, but the teleportation device I was going to use broke. I hope you have ideas..."  
  
"Slow down, Ashley." Carlos looked at her seriously. "Did you tell..."  
  
She glanced at Sharie. "Yeah, and did you..." Carlos nodded.  
  
"Where is my brother?" Sharie whispered.  
  
"He is on Earth with the rest, fighting monsters. He asked me to tell you this, Sharie. He loves you very much, he misses you, and he wants to see you again, soon."  
  
"Now we have to find an exit," said Carlos impatiently.  
  
"My scanner did show there is one nearby, but how do we leave the dimension?"  
  
"Sharie said she knows of a spell, but it only works outside. Let's go."  
  
They were outside in minutes, finding themselves in a place of orange skies and yellow trees.  
  
"This place is creepy," shivered Ashley. "How do we get out of here, Sharie?"  
  
"I must warn you both first that we will travel through a realm of banished monsters with the spell I have in mind," she said. "It is the only transdimensional spell I know, and highly dangerous, but I see no alternative. Violet Power Staff!" she called. She held out her hand, letting the weapon coalesce into it. "Grip the staff. There is an element of fear to this spell, but no matter how much it affects you, no matter how afraid you get, *don't let go of the staff*. You could break the spell and destroy us all if you do."  
  
They shivered, but nodded. Ashley and Carlos each placed their hands on the staff and closed their eyes. They heard Sharie begin to murmer some strange words, and wind began to whistle past their ears. Then came the awful sounds of evil cackling, worse than an old witch's. Then a terrifying variety of screams was heard, and growls, and sounds of sickening dismemberment. All three felt their spines stiffen with terror, but none of them dared break the link. Another wind whistled in their ears, and there was a loud *thump* as all three of them hit the floor of the Megaship. They were back.  
  
"Sharie, you are a genius!" cried Ashley jubilantly.  
  
"And it is a good thing you are," said DECA. "The other rangers are being captured and tied up by the monsters as we speak. They could use your help."  
  
"Then let's go!" said Carlos impatiently, wanting this all to end. "Let's rocket!"  
  
"Violet Ranger Power!"  
  
The three morphed teens vanished again.  
  
****  
  
"HA HA HA HA!!!" bellowed an ugly blue monster that could have been one of Finster's rejects. He spoke to the bound rangers. "Looks like it is all over for *you*!"  
  
"Guess again, sideshow reject!"  
  
"What! Who dares to say that to me!"  
  
"We did," said Ashley, stepping from behind a boulder, along with Sharie and Carlos. Sharie's breath caught at her first sight of the Gold Ranger, her brother was only yards away...and unable to move...  
  
Trey also felt his throat close up. Yes, that was *her*...he just knew, somehow.  
  
"Nobody invited you," growled a black monster.  
  
"Too bad, monkeyface," said Sharie. "We came to trash your little party."  
  
With that, they attacked. Sharie easily managed to fling off the quantrons, sending them crashing into the nearby monsters and destroying whom she hit. "Power Staff!" she called, letting the weapon form once again into her hand. Taking aim, she blasted the lock that held the bonds around the bound rangers.  
  
With seven rangers now fighting, the bad guys began to go down fairly quickly. They were getting fewer and fewer when Sharie noticed that while her brother was trying to fight one, the black monster was aiming a weapon at him...  
  
"Oh, Trey, *look out*!" she cried, before realizing the words had passed her lips.  
  
Heeding her words, he ducked away just in time. It was not until then he realized she had called him by name. *She knows....*  
  
"Thank you, Sharie, Lalinka," he choked out, unconsciously calling her by his old pet name for her, before a quantron pouncing on him forced him to resume his fighting.  
  
Sharie paused for a moment, struck to the core of her being by his words. Lalinka. She had never thought to hear that name again...  
  
Snapping out of her trance, Sharie forced herself to keep fighting, despite her raging emotions.  
  
At last, only two monsters remained, the black and the blue ones. The seven rangers closed in on them. Suddenly, the blue monster panicked and fired a laser shot directly at Sharie. She ducked and rolled away just in time. Furious, she held up her power staff.  
  
"Violet Hurricane Power!" she cried, aiming the staff at the blue monster. Energy bolted from the staff and hit the monster head-on. The world glared for a moment as he exploded, then he was gone...for good.  
  
Now only the black monster remained. Squealing angrily, he lunged for Trey, who was the closest. He only barely missed as the boy twisted out of reach.  
  
"Time for a gold rush!" Staff in hand, he became only partially visible as he rushed through the monster. Sparks flew as the monster collapsed, groaning. Sharie, Ashley, and Cassie took care of that by aiming their weapons at the monster and putting him out of its misery.  
  
Silence fell.  
  
The five Lightstar Rangers gathered in a group, demorphing. Sharie and Trey, still morphed but several feet apart, turned to face each other. Then Trey, after several moments, crossed his wrists and demorphed. A few moments later, Sharie did the same, her long golden hair blowing freely in the wind.  
  
"Come on, guys, let's leave them alone," whispered Andros. Nodding, the five quietly teleported away, leaving the beach empty except for the two Triforians.  
  
****  
  
Sharie's heart pounded in her chest as she looked into a pair of dark eyes she never thought to see again. They spoke of so much pain...and newfound joy, uncertainty, and without a doubt, she knew that the close bond they had shared had survived those torturous years....  
  
His feeling echoed hers, like his thoughts. He saw the raw, painful emotions in those violet-purple eyes, and the love he saw there was reflected in his own gaze. Something flickered behind the purple depths, then her feet slowly unlocked and she moved toward him, one step at a time, her raw, painful emotions growing stronger with each step.  
  
When she reached him, she stopped, her eyes lifting to his once again.  
  
*Trey!* The image slammed home, cutting right through the years. She was a little girl again, looking up to the one she adored so much....possibly even more than her own parents, the other half of her young world, and who'd so savagely been ripped from her unwillingly.  
  
*Trey!* There wasn't any doubt. Once their eyes locked, they felt a violent, emotionally wrenching jolt of electricity flare between them.....something so long buried, something that had been more or less *gone* for so long, cracked to life between them like a whip. Both were suddenly aware of the other's lifeforce humming brightly to life in the other's minds, back as if it had never been gone to begin with.  
  
The force of the snap sent a painful shockwave of emotion rippling throughout Sharie's whole being, causing her to draw in a soundless breath and her eyes to widen slightly. When he mirrored her actions unconsciously, she instantly knew he felt it as well. Their bond was there, and stronger than they'd ever rememberd or dared to dream.  
  
Silently, as if in a trance, her small hand lifted to touch the skin of his face, on his cheeks and near his lips. She could not help herself, and at the contact, she saw his eyes suddenly shimmer...and a sparkle, and a wetness on her fingertips.....oh, gods, she'd made him cry!  
  
"Trey...." the voice was a strangled whisper. "I did not mean to make you cry....don't cry...."  
  
He hadn't moved, so maybe it was her own imagination that whispered the word to her that she held so sacred to her heart.  
  
"*Lalinka.*"  
  
*Lalinka.* She saw him draw in a deep, shuddering breath, and suddenly realized she'd not been imagining it.  
  
*Lalinka.* The word echoed this time in her mind, and the barriers around her control melted away. Her eyes did not leave his, but his image blurred just a bit....and she knew that her face was suddenly just as damp as what she felt his was. The pain twisting in her middle became a violent riot of agony, of need and desperate wanting.  
  
"Don't cry," she whispered, at once feeling the lock on her legs give way. She sank forward, right into his arms. "I am here. Don't cry!"  
  
It was said even as she felt his arms enfold her in his ironlike grip, an achingly familiar sensation she never though to feel again.....it was said even as she buried her face in his chest, unable any more to control the flow of her own tears down her own face, or her silent crying.  
  
His hand fumbled, and found hers, gripping it hard....but the pain meant nothing to her.  
  
She knew what he could not say.  
  
For she felt it herself.  
  
She could not hold back tears of not only pain.....but happiness as well.  
  
*Never again, Lalinka, never again will I let you go....never!*  
  
They stood there for a long time, their tears, borne of both joy and agony being the sweetest pain they'd ever felt.  
  
****  
  
The next morning, Carlos found himself cursing over a report he had recieved from the Phantom Ranger. The mystery Ranger had managed to track Zordon's vessel, but it was too late...Zordon had transferred and was gone again.  
  
"Carlos!" he looked up in surprise. Coming across to him were Sharie and Trey, disguised in Earth clothes so they would not attract attention.  
  
"Sharie!" was all he could think of to say as she came up to him and hugged him. Then, to his considerable surprise, she pulled his head to hers and kissed him soundly, right in front of her brother.  
  
"And that was for..." he stammered, breathless, his face red from more than the kiss.  
  
"Partially to say thank you," she said with a mischevious grin. "And partially because I wanted to do it."  
  
"I--uh, am glad of that, then," he stammered, then cast a sidelong glance to Trey. "I sincerely hope you have no objection to that."  
  
He chuckled slightly and shook his head. "No, I don't control such affairs, even with my sister. It is Sharie's business, not mine. Besides, I know you will be good to her."  
  
"I came by to say good-bye before we left," said Sharie. "Trey and I are going back to Triforia." "To stay?" For just a moment, Carlos was genuinely afraid that, now she had her brother back, she'd leave earth for good.  
  
When she smiled at him, however, he knew his fears were unfounded.  
  
"Not for me. Earth has been my home for much of my life, I could never leave it easily. But there are things that must be done, like getting me reinstated as heir to the title of leader of our planet."  
  
"And that law concerning children is getting tossed out the window," Trey continued. "It is useless and does more harm than good--so we learned the hard way."  
  
"Then I wish good luck to both of you," said Carlos with sincerity.  
  
"We will be back in a few days," said Sharie, kissing Carlos again. "Trey and I have a lot of catching up to do, and Earth is as good a place as any to do it. But now, we have to leave."  
  
"Okay, then. Goodbye to you both, and see you soon," said Carlos.  
  
"Goodbye," Sharie and Trey teleported off without another word, leaving Carlos to smile dreamily into the morning sun.  
  
THE END OF THE CHAPTER....BUT NOT THE STORY. 


	3. Love's Pledge, story 3

Whomever it is nowadays owns the Power Rangers, as it seems to keep changing hands.....beats me who at the moment (guess I'll have to ask somebody sometime). Oh, and because I did not say it so in the last story I'll say it here....thanks to those who *tried* to keep my stories on their site after Cynthia was forced to shut hers down, I haven't forgotten you either! Story number 3 in the From The Stars series. Read the other two first. Note to Cestria Haters: Seeing as how so many out there don't like her, then there's a scene in this story, a certain wedding scene, you may wanna skim over. Thanks to Starhawk for the Color Withdrawl concept. In this story I take the liberty of 'fixing' the splintering problem the Triforians have and hate so much. If the 'cure' sounds fishy science-wise, tough. I never liked it, and there is another reason I'm doing this.....Trey finds his lady love in this story, and if the problem *isn't* fixed, how the heck is he gonna step foot on her planet? Oh, as I've been revamping all my stories at least slightly, there are a *few* changes in this one, mostly to iron out later contradictions.  
  
Love's Pledge, part 1 By ZeoViolet Teaser:The pledge and promise of love is very strong, as many people discover....  
  
Some inner instinct made Sharie Triesta suddenly aware of the world around her. Her large purple eyes fluttered open, and stared, almost unseeing, into the blackness that penetrated her room, in the large house that had been left to her upon the death of her adoptive parents.  
  
She sat up and ran a hand over her hair, brushing her long golden curls off her face and looking for her digital clock. It was early, well before five. She smiled to herself and pushed back the covers, scooting to the edge of the bed and off it. Unless she was sick or otherwise beat, she usually got up at this time of day. She could recall few things that were more gorgeous than a sunrise on Earth.  
  
As she stood up and walked toward the bathroom adjoining her room, she could barely feel the faint tendrils of her brother's mind brushing the edges of her consciousness. He was still asleep. Without a hitch, she pushed up the barriers of her mind further, blocking his presence. Such training, drilled into her head from baby hood to not enter the mind of another person (especially for someone of her mental strength), still rode strong, and she stuck by it at all times, unless emergency dictated otherwise.  
  
After she had showered and dressed, she wandered to the windows of her room, pulling the drapes so they opened. The eastern sky was just beginning to turn grey, and the faint light shone on the various photographs hanging from the walls of her room, photos that she had started to add since the day she had been adopted by the kind folks who had adopted her, and called her their little girl...  
  
Only one photograph was before that. It was one of her and her brother, Trey, taken only a few weeks before her childhood kidnapping that had started the whole mess of her ending up on Earth. He was holding a five- year-old Sharie in his lap, arms around her protectively, while her small arms were reached up around his neck in a gesture of complete trust, smiles on both of their faces, which was how the camera had captured them. Having thought him dead all these years, it was one of the few reminders of him she had had....until exactly one week ago.  
  
Thanks to the Lightstar Rangers, for whom she would be forever grateful to, she had been reunited with the brother she had thought forever lost to this realm of existence. Trey, Lord of Triforia, and the Gold Ranger, to her surprise, was the long-lost brother she had always dreamed she would see again...but had never imagined it could come into reality.  
  
And Carlos...he had been the driving force behind it. She had sensed he hated to see her in pain, but she had never considered that he might try to find out what was tormenting her...and had discovered that the Zeo Violet Ranger and the Zeo Gold Ranger were brother and sister. And he had helped to bring them together. He had willingly, and without complaint, done so much for her, just because he had fallen in love with her....just like she had fallen in love with him. And, despite what had happened in her past, she was no longer afraid to love someone.  
  
Sharie stared out the window for a minute, contemplating this, and watching the dim grey in the East begin to brighten. She roused herself and slipped downstairs on small, quiet tiptoes so she would not disturb her brother. The last week with him had been wonderful, but she was not about to resume her childhood habit of waking up super-early and dragging him, grumbling, outdoors to watch a sunrise, Triforia or no.  
  
She stopped by the main household computer to check her e-mail Ever since returning from a deep-space mission that had trapped her there for eight months, her e-mail load had been staggering as she reestablished contact with people who had thought her gone.  
  
"Hi, Sharie!" greeted an e-mail from Dex, another alien whom had made his home on Earth. Dex was a prince himself, like she (technically, anyway) was a princess. He was from Edenoi, and was on Earth trying to defend his adoptive family's town against Count Dregon, his evil uncle. She had met him about a year before, when she visited his town with an aunt. Dex knew she was a Ranger, but at the time, she had sworn him to secrecy.  
  
"Not much trouble out here," the E-mail continued. "Things have been pretty quiet. Albee says he is going to go insane if something does not happen soon--even a monster attack. I sometimes believe that I would rather go insane. I am Dex, a person, not Masked Rider, a mythical superhero. By the way, Ferbus says hi, and to come by and visit soon. I just think he really likes your chocolate pudding."  
  
Sharie laughed, clapping a hand over her mouth to avoid awakening her brother, who was almost as light a sleeper as she. She quickly e-mailed Dex a letter back, telling him that maybe soon she could squeeze in time to see him. And as for Ferbus and her chocolate pudding--the little animal's birthday was coming up soon, maybe she could teleport some to him, or something of that nature.  
  
"Well, Sharie, glad to finally hear from you again!" said an e-mail from Chandra, an old friend of hers. "Where have you been? On exotic travels again? I want to hear about your trip. Call me soon! 'Bye!"  
  
Sharie smiled, but bit her lip. She could not tell Chandra where she had been. Chandra thought she was an ordinary human girl who was too smart for school and liked to travel. And Sharie *had* traveled the world a lot, but by methods few would expect...she had to do her best to sidestep such questions, but this one would take some pretty fancy footwork. Sharie hated liars, but with her profession, disguising the truth was often necessary.  
  
She sent a brief reply to Chandra, saying that yes, she was back and they could talk later, then turned her attention to a third e-mail.  
  
She was shocked when she saw the seal of Aquitar where the subject line should have been, and the date sent. That was it. She dragged her mouse over and clicked on the icon, and a box appeared, in high Triforian, telling her to identify herself. Sighing, Sharie typed in her full name and title, along with a password commonly used when contact was established between different planets, a security precaution.  
  
The computer recognized her response and opened the message. Sharie found herself, staring in surprise, at an invitation to her and Trey, from the former Blue Ranger, Billy. He was getting married soon, and he had invited Trey and her to his wedding to Cestria.  
  
*Why me? I have never met Billy personally,* she realized. Sometimes it was hard to remember how fast news traveled. Billy and Trey had been good friends, it must have been simple courtesy to not only invite him, but his long-lost sister as well.  
  
Sharie shuddered momentarily, remembering what she had been told about the last time her brother had been to Aquitar. The genetic incompatibility he had had with the atmosphere of Aquitar had splintered him into the three basic components of his soul. It had taken weeks to get him rejoined. Such an occurrence was extremely rare for a Triforian, and reversing the effect was even harder. Sometimes, it had not worked with the individual, and they remained splintered for the rest of their lives.  
  
*But not anymore,* she thought to herself, staring at the invitation. Billy must have also heard about the new program sweeping Triforia, since the cure had finally been found to prevent them ever again from suffering the agony of splintering.  
  
Sharie herself had known about it for some time. She had long ago realized that she was different when she had accidentally found herself on a planet similar to Aquitar, which should have done the same thing to her. But it had not. She felt as solid and in control of herself when she left as she had ever felt before then.  
  
She had remembered that the night before her mother had sent her away into the unknown, she had injected her with something that had made her ill for a few hours, but had never understood why. It was not until a few years later that she had discovered what her mother had done to her.  
  
*So actually, my own mother discovered it,* she thought. This was true. Her mother, Jeanette, had injected her with a serum that messed with certain enzymes in her DNA, forever preventing her splintering process to start. This was the treatment the whole of Triforia had sought after ever since their 70-million year civilized history began. When Sharie had returned to Triforia the day after she and Trey had been reunited, she had shocked everyone present with the news.  
  
*Flash*  
  
"But why would she not tell anybody?" asked Troy, a close friend of Trey's. "Jeanette was not only the former Lady of Triforia, she was a scientist. She should have had an obligation to tell this to the rest of the people. But she only used *you*, Sharie, like a test subject!"  
  
Sharie stood and faced him squarely, her purple eyes locking with his. She'd remembered Troy well from her young childhood; to hear him talk like this was certainly unlike him. He was probably too shocked; Jeanette had been almost a second mother to him in some ways. "Did it occur to you that she had discovered it only shortly before the war started? Would she have dared to let this news out and possibly let the Dryserans get ahold of our weakness? The main reason she tried it on me was because she did not know where I was going!"  
  
Troy pressed his lips together for a moment, his shocking blue eyes shadowed, as he considered her words--and the blood suddenly rushed to his face, and before she could blink, he was offering a heartfelt apology.  
  
"I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me, I--It's just, you're here, after so long, we thought you dead, and to hear that she--"  
  
Sharie held up her hand, stopping the flow of his words. "I understand. Nobody knew she'd decide to take the drastic actions she did. But....I know it from her point of view, I read it. That journal--she might as well have been speaking to me directly with it. Even after all that's happen....I understand what she must have gone through herself."  
  
"Can you duplicate it?" asked Trey, who had been listening intently. He did not mention that sometimes his heart still twinged with mixed emotions, not really anger anymore--not since reading his mother's journal--but along the lines of more disturbing thoughts, such as why she had done it the way she had, without even trying to keep them together first.....instead of immediately ripping them all apart....  
  
"Yes, I can. I have duplicated it in the past, though it remains unused. I could easily duplicate some more and show other scientists how. Our people can be spared the worry of splintering once and for all."  
  
"And there are few side effects?" He recalled the faintly sick look on Sharie's face when she had told him that the side effects were not numerous, but most certainly unplesant.  
  
"Most who get it will become ill for a few hours. That is the only obvious sign while their DNA is tampered with."  
  
"And it sounds so easy," muttered Troy. "Triforians are supposed to be experts in the medical field. We should have discovered it long before this."  
  
"You know that we have strong inhibitions against tampering with our bodies like that. We think that we are fine just the way we are, and I do not argue with that. But every single Triforian will agree with us here that this is for the best."  
  
And it had been. Most of Triforia by now had the cure, or were getting it. Soon, within weeks, no Triforian would ever have to worry about splintering again. Preparations were being made to carry it to the space colonies of Triforians in deep space, also...  
  
*Flash*  
  
Sharie was jerked out of her thoughts by several thumps emanating from upstairs in her wing of the house. She smiled, knowing that it was coming from Trey's bedroom. He was awake and attempting to get dressed in unfamiliar earth clothes. Mornings were the only time of day he tended to be so clumsy, and dressing in restricting, unfamiliar jeans were just adding to his misery. She could even sense his frustration on the outer fringes of her thoughts.  
  
She had a difficult time hiding her smile when he came downstairs at last, his usually composed face drawn in a frown and his cheeks flushed from effort, his dark hair falling forward on her forehead.  
  
She was unable to keep all the amusement out of her eyes, though, and he caught them glittering with suppressed mirth.  
  
"I hardly see how this is funny, Lalinka," he said, bending over and kissing her forehead, calling her by his old pet name for her. "It is a wonder how human men stand it. Are they not built like we are in that general area?"  
  
"Yes," she said, finding it harder and harder to control herself. A grin split her face despite her efforts. "I just expect they are used to it. I am."  
  
He chuckled and hugged her from behind, looking at what she had on the computer screen. "What is that?" he asked, before what he read himself registered. "Oh, my..."  
  
"I expect news traveled fast." said Sharie. "It is not every day the Lord of Triforia gets his sister back and has a cure for splintering in the works. Probably it was Tommy who told Billy all about you and me. They correspond often."  
  
"Since when did you meet Tommy?"  
  
"Yesterday. Ran into him at the track when Uncle Marek took me and my cousins Toby and Tami there. They got back from that medical conference while you were on Triforia yesterday, and the twins were bored. You could meet them today, if you like."  
  
Trey nodded. Marek and Marisha Thoene, with their nine-year-old deaf twins, Toby and Tami Lynne, were mostly what was left of the close-knit family that had adopted Sharie. They were her aunt and uncle, her legal guardians, and the twins were Sharie's cousins.  
  
Trey smiled. "I would love to meet them, Lalinka. They have been very good to you, I can see. But what about...this?" he gestured to the message.  
  
"Why not go? If Billy is inviting even you, then he surely must have invited many other former rangers as well. And I would love to see Aquitar. I heard it is a beautiful place."  
  
"It is..." Trey was suddenly quiet, and he trailed off the sentence slowly. Sharie did not have to look at him twice to know what he was thinking, even without a mind probe. She had always been able to read people better than books.  
  
"So you want to accept?"  
  
He shook himself out of it. "Sure, why not? I would enjoy meeting some of the other Rangers of Earth again, as well as seeing Billy."  
  
"Probably also to see Delphine," Sharie murmured under her breath, forgetting that her brother was close enough to hear her words.  
  
"Sharie...." he had heard. He turned her around in her chair to face him. "How did you know about that? Did you read my mind? I never said...."  
  
She looked so shocked at his suggestion that he immediately felt contrite. "I am sorry, Lalinka," he murmured, hugging her suddenly. "I did not mean that quite the way it sounded."  
  
"It is all right," she replied, not angry at him in the least. "I do not do that, Trey. What was drilled into my head as a child still is strong in my mind. Especially growing up around people unused to mental skills like we are used to."  
  
"I suppose I assumed differently since you did grow up among them," he said softly, silently cursing himself for even thinking it. "I should not have thought you would do it."  
  
*Only in emergencies, usually, Trey,* her mind echoed into his. *Although you and I used to talk this way all the time.*  
  
*It is convienent,* he admitted. *And I still enjoy it, you know.* he glanced out the window, the eastern sky was purple and pink. *Want to go watch the sunrise, Lalinka?*  
  
*Sure,* she said without hesitation. Out loud, she added, "But I thought you would sleep in for another hour or so. You used to dislike my bounding into your room and bouncing on your bed until you awoke, hollering to get dressed so we could watch Triforia's sunrise. I was not going to start that again."  
  
"Maybe you did irritate me when I was first jerked out of a sound sleep, but by the time I got outside, I had forgotten about it," he assured her. "How are sunrises on Earth?"  
  
"One of the most beautiful sights you could ever imagine," she promised him as they wandered outdoors. "I am not sure how you would take my admitting this, but sometimes they even outdo Triforia's dazzling sunrises and sunsets."  
  
"We shall see," he grinned, following her down a path that led to the personal lake on her property. The skyline across the lake was clear, perfect for watching a sunrise.  
  
It was a gorgeous morning, a fresh breeze ruffling the tight, curly bangs on Sharie's forehead. She yanked the scrunchie out of her hair that had been holding it in a coiled braid, and let her long hair loose, flowing past her shoulders in long ringlets to her waist. If there was one sensation she loved, it was wind through her thick hair.  
  
Her brother could not help grinning as he watched her. Yet another of her childhood habits had survived, he mused. Quite a bit had changed, but she was still his Lalinka.  
  
There was a bench nearby, they went over and sat on it. Sharie brought her knees up to her chin against the morning breeze, wrapping her slender arms around them. She turned her purple gaze to the eastern sky, where the few clouds were streaked with brilliant arrays of purple, pink, orange, and yellow. It was a dazzling display of color, pulsing with the life the sun's light brought to the planet each day.  
  
Trey, too, was captivated when the dazzling swirl of colors became even brighter. He could do nothing but stare as, creeping over the edge of the horizon, casting its brilliant light everywhere it touched, the pulsing ball of liquid fire came, ever rising, streaking the clouds with even more brilliance in a stunning array of color that was indescribable by words alone. It was pure emotion, powerful and moving as the colors in the eastern sky danced before his very eyes, the pink and orange clouds faintly encircling the rising globe like a magical halo, glowing with pureness and beauty. It was, truly, a sight breathtaking to behold.  
  
Trey was stunned, completely at a loss for words, if not emotions. Sharie had been right. It was, perhaps, the most dazzling sight he had ever seen. The sight of the pulsing ball of liquid, pulsing to an inner beat that harmonized with the planet he was on, and its effect on what went on around him, was so incredible, he could not describe the effect it had on him.  
  
When the sun was high enough in the sky so that it became it's normal deep blue hue, he finally was able to turn to look at his sister. She did at exactly the same moment, and their eyes locked. It was a moment of shared feeling, a moment of complete harmony within the universe. For a minute, evil ceased to exist, and there was the strong urge to wish that this moment of clarity could last forever.  
  
****  
  
The twinkling of an unusually bright star had Billy's attention, as he breathed in the chill of early morning on Aquitar. He was on Hope Island, a tiny island in the Nyruvana Ocean expanse. He was glad the Aquitians understood his restless Wolf spirit and allowed him to come to the surface whenever he wished.  
  
The ultra bright star was the other sun in Auqitar's two-star system. It was so distant it was prominent in the sky but otherwise had little effect on the gorgeous ocean world he was residing on. The other sun, the prominent one in the Aquitian sky, was due to arise in the East at any moment, reducing the brilliant light of the distant sun to a dull glow, all that was visible in Aqutiar's daytime.  
  
The breeze ruffled Billy's sandy curls and made him shiver slightly. He drew his jacket more tightly around his broad shoulders and wrapped his arms loosely around his knees Staring at the distant sun thoughtfully. Ancient Aquitian legend had it that the star had prophetic powers, one only had to observe the star and ask a silent question. After a time, often the person would instinctively know his or her answer.  
  
*Will my future with Cestria be as wonderful as I envision it?* he asked it silently. Many Aquitians now viewed it as more of a fanciful notion than anything else, but being a deeply spiritual people as well as scientific, it went undisputed aloud. And Billy could not help himself here.  
  
"The sky is beautiful this morning, is it not?" asked a soft voice. Billy turned his blue-green gaze from the pulsing star and set it on the lovely Aquitian who had stolen his heart, and in turn, gave him her own for him to protect and cherish. Looking at her now, he knew that his silent question to the distant sun had given him the answer he wished for.  
  
"Glad you could join me, Cestria," he said quietly, holding out his hand. She took it and sat down beside him. A breeze came up and she shivered, and he noticed she wore no jacket. Without a word, he silently removed his from his shoulders and placed it around her slender ones.  
  
"Is that better?" he asked. She smiled her sweet smile on him, flooding him with an undescribable warmth, and an intensity of love that still surprised him.  
  
"Yes. I did not realize it would be so chilly. I should not deprive you of your covering," she said, blushing and leaning up against him.  
  
"Do not worry about that," he assured her, wrapping his arms around her. "And yes, the sky is beautiful. I love to come up here sometimes and watch it. It is too difficult to be seen underwater."  
  
"I understand that," she said. "It is irresistible. It is the main reason I worked at Eternal Falls for so long. I love the open sky."  
  
"Then I hope you will not mind if I want you to come up here every now and then, after we are joined," he said as she shivered again. He ran his warm hands up and down her slender arms, the friction helping to ward off the chill. "We had better get you a jacket, one that will withstand the morning chill better. I am more used to cool climates. You are used to tropical seas."  
  
"I know what might help," she said, turning merrily twinkling hazel eyes to his. He looked in them and understood her meaning. The grin faded from his face as he leaned down, gently kissing her, his firm lips covering her soft ones.  
  
She was right, she always was. A slow fire began to course through his body and hers, and as their passion ignited, he pulled her tightly against him, kissing her harder. The strange thought crossed his mind that Aquitians were likely similar to Triforians and humans in one way: It was said that they were insatiable. Of course, he thought dimly, *that* he well knew as fact...but the last of his thoughts shattered as he felt himself losing control. Just in time, another breeze, even more cold, blasted over them with enough force to quickly bring them back from the place where their inflamed senses had taken them.  
  
He pulled back gingerly and looked into her eyes. "Later," he whispered breathlessly, his eyes glittering a promise. She nodded as he pulled her to her feet, watching Aquitar's own colorful sunrise before teleporting back down to the underwater compound that housed the small village where he, Cestria, and the Aquitian Rangers lived.  
  
Delphine looked up, clearly amused as the two lovers came in on flashes of blue, their eyes glittering with suppressed passion, their cheeks flushed, and their hands clasped in a rather un-aquitian gesture. She said nothing on the matter, only gave them a brief greeting, which they returned before heading off in the general direction of Cestria's quarters.  
  
Delphine only sighed and smiled as they vanished, idly picking up the guest list to their joining in a few days. She was very happy for the pair, who deserved it more than they could understand. Not only were they in love, they had the passion that went along with it.  
  
Delphine never voiced to anyone that she was a little envious of what they had found. She was three thousand years old, and she had never fallen in love. Cestria was barely a century old, quite young, and she had found it so soon. Delphine was not worried about her being too old to find love, but she did wonder if it was ever going to happen. Only one person had ever stirred feelings in her heart beyond friendship. A young man who, like Billy, was not even of her world.  
  
It was his gaze that had drawn him into her heart, making it thump in a fast and furious pace that belied her usual calm, complacent nature. Though he had been unwell at the time, while Cestro had been readying the emergency transmission to Earth, the man's eyes and hers had locked, for the longest thirty seconds of her life. As she had supported him, making sure he would not collapse, her breathing had nearly stopped entirely, and while Cestro was gone, complete silence had reigned. She had almost been disappointed when he had to be hustled into stasis shortly thereafter, to save him from further ravages of genetic incompatibility. Her parting words to him, "Good luck, Trey of Triforia, and may the power protect you," had been more heartfelt than anyone could have guessed out of the quiet, efficient leader of the Aquitian Rangers.  
  
Since then, she had spoken to him occasionally, during the time he was splintered, or to be more specific, she had spoken to Trey of Heart. The very part of his soul that had reached out to her and touched her own heart in the first place, she was sure.  
  
*Come to terms with it, Delphine, you are infatuated with an impossibility,* she tried reminding herself, idly beginning to study the list. Tanya Sloan, Adam Park, Thomas Oliver, Trini Kwan...these were names of people she either knew personally or had heard plenty about from Billy. He wanted his old friends at his joining, and most had agreed to come, the few who had not responded as yet he was still trying to get ahold of.  
  
She nearly dropped the list in shock when a distinctive name jumped out at her. "Trey Triesta, Lord of Triforia." She thought for a minute, trying to remember how Billy had known the Gold Ranger...oh, yeah, he had been to Triforia also, trying to help the young leader to rejoin the three parts of his soul so he could reclaim the Golden Powers that Jason temporarily held.  
  
*But how could he come--* the thought instantly vanished when she saw the next name on the list, one she was only vaguely aquatinted with from third- hand stories. "Sharie Triesta, Princess of Triforia."  
  
Delphine bit her lip and thought, trying to remember what Billy had told her, from what *Tommy* had told him. And *Tommy* had heard mostly from Earth's current Rangers...  
  
Trey had a long-lost sister, she recalled hearing. With incredible powers of Zeo origin. She had grown up on Earth, thinking her family dead...until recently. And she knew a cure for disabling a Triforian's splintering, since the race hated what it could do to them....and it was even at that moment being taken care of, somehow. So if Trey ever again stepped foot on Aquitar, he would be pretty much safe from 'genetic incompatibility.'  
  
There was a checkmark by both their names, they had obviously agreed to come. The thought of seeing him again sent her heart pounding. Once again, she tried to shake it off as impossible. They were from two different worlds, both power rangers. She was leader of her team, he was leader of his *world*...how could they possibly make it work? ****  
  
The doorbell chimed, sending a clear melody through the house instead of the traditional 'ding-dong', which, Sharie had explained to Trey, she really disliked. He followed warily behind her as she went to answer the door, and was more than a little surprised when it opened and she was pounced upon by two children with midnight-dark hair. He relaxed, though, when she hugged them back, strong enough to easily lift both slender frames off the ground. He was convinced of who they were when she pulled back and moved her hands in the Universal Sign Language, for her cousins, Toby and Tami Lynne Thoene, were deaf.  
  
The twins were the same size, rather tall for their age, with straight black hair and eyes of an unusually dazzling golden color. Not brown and not yellow, but gold. They glittered with an intelligence equaling that of adults, Sharie had told him, probably to make up for the fact that they generally lived in silence, an inherited trait from their grandparents.  
  
The boy was quite handsome, a well-built body on a nine-year-old frame, with firm features and a heart-shaped face that promised a future ladykiller, his unusual golden eyes adding to the effect.  
  
His twin sister, resembling him so strongly, had that same promise. Her face and eyes were much like his, only with the vaguely softer angles since she was a girl. Her frame was more slender, but she carried herself in such a way that said that she was no doubt as strong as her brother. She was a very pretty little girl who would have all the men swooning after her one day.  
  
Behind the children were two adults, whom Trey guessed as being their parents and Sharie's legal guardians, Marek and Marisha Thoene. Marek had blue-black hair and copperish-red skin, high cheekbones, and snappy black eyes, all terribly handsome features of which hinted strongly at his Native American heritage.  
  
Marisha was also quite tall, like her husband. Her eyes blazed as golden as her hair, which curled nearly as tightly as Sharie's. She had high cheekbones also, but much paler skin and a heart-shaped face, large eyes, and a winning smile that also somehow strongly resembled her adopted niece's. Even to the way she had a certain air about her--Sharie had obviously adopted much from this woman, and her sister, Sharie's deceased adoptive mother.  
  
The two adults greeted Sharie with much warmth, and she hugged them back tightly, making it plain how fiercely close she was to them.  
  
"Come on in," she told them. "There is someone I want you too meet." She closed the door behind them and directed their gaze to the silent occupant of the room. "I want you to meet my brother, Trey."  
  
****  
  
The twins were silent as they gazed upon the brother Sharie had told them so much about, no matter how hard it had been for her to say it. Trey came forward silently, perfectly aware of the intense gaze of the entire family. Marisha especially, seemed to be sizing him up, he suspected, determining his worthiness after having been separated from his sister for so many years.  
  
Suddenly, she straightened her spine and held out her hand, palm up in what was, to Trey's surprise, an old Triforian greeting gesture. To his further surprise, she spoke in fluent High Triforian. "Greetings Trey, Lord of Triforia. Welcome to Earth, and as long as you are here, you are perfectly welcome in my home or Sharie's, wherever you would stay."  
  
As he lifted his hand and placed it against hers, twining their fingers to complete the greeting, he could not help but marvel at her fluency. Her accent was a little strange, due to the difficulty of the Triforian tongue, but it was plain Sharie had taught her well. "I thank you, Miss--excuse me, Mrs. as it is on your world, Mrs. Thoene, for your generous hospitality."  
  
She continued to look him in the eye with her intense, shrewd golden gaze. He almost expected her to try and read his mind, but those talents did not come so easily to humans, he remembered. Still, she seemed to see right through him, to the core.  
  
She must have liked what she saw, for she suddenly relaxed, giving him a smile of charming intensity. Marek also relaxed visibly, holding his hand up and making a similar greeting, in a similar accented tone.  
  
"We were surprised to learn you were alive," he said, choosing his words carefully. "It came as a shock to our Sharie here, you understand. I hope you forgive our earlier stiffness."  
  
"It is understandable, there is nothing to forgive," he assured them. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the little boy, Toby, turn to his father and move his hands with rapid-fire intensity, asking, "*he* is the Gold Ranger, Daddy?" His large golden eyes widened, dramatizing the effect.  
  
Trey smiled slightly, tapping the boy on the shoulder to get his attention. Sharie obviously hid little from her close family if they knew this fact.  
  
The boy turned, lifting a golden gaze to Trey's dark ones. His sister, Tami, joined him, while from a distance, Sharie watched in amusement. Trey moved his own hands and signed with perfect fluidity. "Yes, Toby, I am the Gold Ranger." He spoke aloud as he said this, for the benefit of the listening audience.  
  
"Cool," the boy signed. "If it is not asking too much--can I see the Pyramidas sometime? I only saw it on TV when a cameraman caught it sailing through the atmosphere."  
  
Trey nodded. "Yes, sometime I will take you and your sister to see it, if it is all right with your parents." he shot a quick glance to Sharie and Marisha. When he saw the answering smile on Marisha's face, he knew his attention to the children had won her over completely.  
  
"Of course it is all right," she said. "I would not mind seeing it myself, although Sharie has a similar vessel."  
  
Trey's eyebrows raised. That he had *not* known. "You have a pyramid vessel?" he asked his sister.  
  
She blushed, but nodded slowly. "Yes, I do. It is similar to yours, but it may be more powerful in some respects. And when it is active, it glows a purplish hue. I have only used it twice, though. You would not find too many lists of sightings. And it is not called the Pyramidas. It is the Pyramida."  
  
****  
  
It was later when Sharie said she had to go shopping for things. "Trey, you need some clothes to help you blend in better on Earth. You cannot just go with your replicator, it has a limited range of styles. And I desperately need to go shopping for food items, as you can see. Eight months gone sort of limits my selection."  
  
He tried to back out of it, large crowds still made him uncomfortable. "They use money here, Lalinka. I have seen it, it is certainly not of the kinds *I* have around."  
  
"You may not have it, but I do. Besides, if you are going to spend any time on Earth, there are a few things you need to learn, like how to drive, how to *use* money, and how to use a telephone, besides learning how to shop here on Earth."  
  
Blushing, he backed down. She was right, since she did not plan to leave earth and make a permanent home on Triforia anytime soon. She had her old quarters on her home planet, but it would take awhile to really call it home again. She had grown up on Earth, it had been her home the most important years of her young life. And years enough to ensure it would remain that way, even legally, since she had been adopted.  
  
The twins begged to go along, and Sharie, who had missed them terribly when she had been gone for so long, agreed. Besides, she knew they were curious about Trey. They were beginning to like him, he paid attention to them and spoke to them as equals, not as dimwitted children who could not hear.  
  
"I heard your parents speak it," he remarked to Tami as they headed for Sharie's minivan. "Do you know High Triforian?"  
  
"We can read and write it," she answered with her small, graceful fingers. "But of course we cannot hear it, except in our heads when Sharie uses her mind to talk to us."  
  
He was surprised. He had thought Sharie kept out of the minds of Earth people whenever possible. "She does that?"  
  
"Sure she does. She does it because we like it, and she taught Toby and I how to do it, so we don't have to sign to each other as much. She taught all of us. She also says any human could do it if they would lay aside their fears and prejudices."  
  
Trey had to admit to himself that this was true. Humans could do so much more if they would lay aside their fear and hatred that veiled their minds from the truly wonderful things they were capable of. Weren't all the supposed psychics and such in human society proof of what they could do?  
  
He did not dwell on it long, though. He gasped in surprise when Sharie turned on the "minivan", and he felt the motion beneath his feet. Travel on the Pyramidas, and even automobile equivalents on Triforia, were silent, with no motion to be felt. This....this....contraption was unsettling, and he tightened his fingers on the sides of the seat, going pale as he tried to get used to the feeling.  
  
*Are all....vehicles like this, Lalinka?* he sent to her weakly.  
  
She glanced at him, a slightly worried frown on her face. *Is it bothering you too much, Trey? You never were the type for motion sickness.*  
  
*No, it is not that, it is just...a little disturbing. I am not used to it.* Sharie decided to accept this at face value, seeing as how his face was not yet turning pale, or worse.....greenish.  
  
*You will, don't worry. Wait until you get into an airplane.* she gave him a faint smirk, and he gradually relaxed. It did not seem to bother his sister, or the two children.  
  
****  
  
This was *shopping*?! No, it had to be a nightmare, a bad dream. He had worn weird clothes before, but Sharie had him in and out of fitting rooms so many times his head spun. Though she usually dressed casual or neatly, he discovered she had a dramatic flair for design, and were choosing things that showed him off to his best possible advantage, like form-fitting black and blue jeans, tight shirts that showed off the considerable amount of muscle he had, and other t-shirts that had his arms bare. Many were unusual to him, except the basic designs of the shirts and sleeveless tees. The only reassuringly familiar things were the basic black-and-gold hues she chose to prevent the effects of color withdrawal.  
  
Her choices were having a positive effect on the local female population; several times when he stepped out of the dressing rooms, red-faced from effort and embarrassment, any girl or woman within eyeshot turned to give him a *very* appreciative once-over, absorbing the sight of tight muscles, a firm stomach, long legs, and other well-endowed areas. Many smiled flirtatiously, causing him to blush further, smile quickly, and duck back inside of the fitting room in acute embarrassment, with Sharie grinning knowingly and the twins cracking up with their silent laughter every time he closed the door.  
  
The only thing he flatly refused was shorts, she warned him that it was only early summer and he would definitely need them before long. He resisted, and she sighed, determined to wear him down. She had done it before, she usually won in a battle of wills like that.  
  
Things only got worse for the poor boy when she dragged him, quite unwillingly, to the underclothes department. Trey nearly cringed, at least she did not make him try *these* on. He looked askance at the socks, readily accepted the undershirts since they looked like what he was used to, and looked shocked when she whispered the purpose of jockstraps. They looked...uncomfortable, compared with their Triforian equivalents. He only quickly nodded his head and walked quickly away, trying not to associate himself with that particular area again. Sharie followed, along with the snickering twins, although all inwardly felt sorry for him.  
  
"I had to get used to it, just like you," Sharie assured him as they headed toward the car. "It just got easier with time."  
  
****  
  
Shopping for food did not seem too bad, so he thought. She bought all sorts of weird products in strange containers, with even stranger names like yogurt, jell-o, macaroni, and windex.  
  
When they rounded one corner, though, she grabbed him by the hand and dragged him rapidly by a particular place. "If you are wise, don't look," she hissed. "This is the meat department."  
  
He saw it, though, it was too strongly in the corners of his vision. He clenched his eyes shut and turned his head, feeling the blood drain from his face and his stomach somersault. Surely it was one of the few remaining indications of a human's barbarian nature...  
  
Sharie finally slowed. "We are past it, brother mine. You can open your eyes now."  
  
Tentatively, he did. The meat counter was nowhere in sight, they were in an aisle with rows and rows of cans.  
  
"Canned food," she explained. "Stuff lasts for years." And although some of the containers contained meat products, it was not as horrifying as the sight of slabs of meat lying on a counter, when only days before it had been a living, breathing animal...quickly, he shoved the thought from his mind.  
  
It was the last trip, and he sighed when they got back in the van to go home.  
  
*Lalinka*, he thought at his sister. *I am not going shopping with you again. Ever. That is a promise.*  
  
*Oh, yes you will,* she responded instantly. *You need to get used to this, I told you that. You must not make anyone suspicious, you know.*  
  
He sighed, knowing that she was right. Especially if he found himself in a situation on Earth when he was alone, he needed to know what to do. Turning his mind from the subject, he entertained the twins until they got home, and by the time they were there, he had won them over completely, and he had to admit, they had won him over, too. They adored him, Tami especially worshipped him and looked up to him like an older brother, her large golden eyes practically glowing in delight when he turned to speak to her with his hands--or with his mind.  
  
****  
  
"What is on your mind?" asked Carlos as he sat nearby his girlfriend, watching her idly write in the type of journal she had used since her earliest days of life.  
  
"A lot of things," she mused. "I will be going to Aquitar tomorrow, with Trey, as you know."  
  
It was the next morning. Trey had already left for a special meeting on Triforia, Sharie had declined to come. Seeing her homeworld after so many years still unsettled her to a significant degree.  
  
"I know," he said quietly, watching her left hand gracefully write in her journal, in words he could not understand. This was a peculiar habit of hers, when she did not want anyone else to know what was in her diaries, she wrote in another language.  
  
"So," he continued, seriously. "What is bothering you about it? There is no reason you and your brother cannot go now. You have cured that little splintering problem of yours."  
  
"I know," she said quietly. She closed the journal and hugged it to her knees. "It is not about me that I am concerned, Carlos. It is my brother."  
  
"What about him?" Carlos asked gently. He could see the concern in her lovely violet-purple eyes, and it make his heart twist.  
  
"I am not sure what he would say if I told you, Carlos. I am the only one who knows this." *Not to mention I more or less *promised* I would not spread this story around.....*  
  
"My lips are sealed, if you want to talk about it, Querida. Maybe I can help."  
  
"Not on this, you cannot," she said, touched by his concern.  
  
"How do you know, unless you tell me?" he asked. "I will not tell, I swear on a Ranger's honor."  
  
"Well..." she shifted uncomfortably. "This has to do with the leader of the Aquitian Rangers, Delphine. Trey has an interest in her."  
  
"Trey is interested in her?" Carlos raised an eyebrow. "Is that so bad, Querida?"  
  
"In and of itself, no, Carlos. Oh...." she sought to find the right words. "I don't think I can bear to see Trey hurt, like he was the first time..." she trailed off, as if unable to either betray her brother or find heart to tell this. Carlos merely put his arms around her and patiently waited for her to continue or not.  
  
Finally, she swallowed. "Carlos, do you have any idea how old my brother is?"  
  
"I think so," Carlos wrinkled his brow. "Isn't he about 2,500 years old?"  
  
"You are almost right. Trey is 2,517. I was born on his 2,500th birthday."  
  
"What a present," Carlos remarked, and her lips quirked in response.  
  
"Trey is much older than I am. That is not unusual, often my people will raise two or three, or even more, groups of children in their 50,000 years of life. What was unusual was that he and I were raised alone, without siblings. It is not often done in our society unless circumstances prevent it, for we hate being raised alone like that. So Trey and I...we are very, very close. I know things about him almost no one, or no one at all, knows." She bit her lip, then rushed into it, feeling partially relieved and yet also feeling as if she was breaking some sacred vow.  
  
"Trey has been in love before, Carlos. He was only thirty-two years old when he fell in love that first time. The girl he fell in love with was around fifty, a very lovely young girl with black hair and blue eyes. Her name was Nikita, and she was the sweetest woman imaginable, as I was told. She and Trey fell hard for each other."  
  
Sharie's eyes misted over as she continued in a soft voice, "Triforians and those they fall in love with--it isn't always easy, Carlos. They are often (although not always) too trusting and intuitive to fall in love with a shallow character who will not love back or will lose love over time...unless the Triforian is very young."  
  
"Oh, dear," murmured Carlos, hoping he was not going to hear a betrayal story. "Did that happen to..."  
  
"No," said Sharie, reading the thoughts etched in the depths of his dark eyes. That could not be further from what had actually happened. "They were madly in love. Within a few weeks of meeting, they agreed to a joining ceremony. Everything was planned, and then the day before the joining---" Sharie stopped and shook her head, trying to get the words out. "Nikita was killed in a lab accident. There was no chance of recovery, even with our advanced techniques."  
  
Carlos's eyes went wide. He said nothing, only held onto Sharie as she continued the story. "Can you imagine how Trey felt? He was crushed, he felt life had betrayed him. I expect it was the first real shock of his life, what it could do and how cruel it can be. He wanted to die himself, for he figured that life without Nikita, his first real companion, was not worth living." Sharie's fingers, from where she gripped his shirt, jerked spasmodically. An image came to her, unbidden, of being by Carlos's side as he lay dying....and not being able to do a damned thing.  
  
"You know how serious my brother can be? That incident changed his carefree attitude toward life toward one of seriousness and work. Almost automatic, not even really living--merely surviving because he had to and it was what was expected of him by others." Sharie's lips pressed together for a moment.  
  
"It took much work by my parents to make him see the worth of living again, and for many centuries, many melennia, he refused to even consider trying to let his heart fall in love again. If Trey had splintered as little as two hundred years ago, the Trey of Heart portion of his soul would have been silent, moody, and even rather cold."  
  
Carlos caught his breath, but Sharie did not seem to stop, as if she was relieved to get this secret off her chest. "It took a long, long time for him to open his heart again. My mother told me once that it was when I was born that the last of his resolve to never love again melted away. She said I made him trust life again, but I am not sure if that is true. I am just....well, I'm a sister. I'm not Nikita. As close as we are, there are a few things a sister cannot usually do for a brother, and that includes the type of fulfilllment it is said one only finds in their true love....because it's so different from family love, and just as necessary for them to feel complete as the love they get from those closest to them."  
  
"Don't be putting yourself down, Querida. I saw the pain he was in when we first met him, even if he said nothing to me directly about his past haunts. You two are damned lucky to be so close, even after so long. That kind of love is different, si, but that does not mean it fills the heart any less completely, just in a different way. And, for all he was driven, he was never cold, or even cool, to us. The feelings he showed were genuine. He's a very sincere person."  
  
Sharie's eyes blurred for a moment, but she blinked them back, a faint smile curving her mouth. Maybe Carlos was right about some of it. He was pretty astute. "I am so glad he did not become so cold and unfeeling again when I disappeared. He became driven, almost suicidal at first, he told me, but he never closed his heart like that again. I don't know why. And now he has been touched again, by the leader of the Aquitan Rangers."  
  
"That is a sad story," said Carlos softly. "But why are you worried, if he has another chance?"  
  
"It is not just me who is worried. He is too. He wonders if she would feel the same way. And she is a power ranger also, Carlos. It means she is constantly putting her life in danger. I do not know what it will do to him if they do become involved and then she dies in battle. Trey loves more intensely than most, Carlos. It could very well crush him completely. He still hides the pain of Nikita's passing; my mother told me he never cried. He was too numb from shock."  
  
*You and he are too much alike in that respect,* Carlos thought, unbidden. When it came to her inner emotions, sometimes they could be seen shadowing behind her eyes, but she had stotic self-control. She never let them really show unless cold reality slapped her in the face--like when he had told her her brother was alive in the first place. Ashley had mentioned to him that Trey was much the same way, controlled and stubborn, for all the kindness and empathy he had.  
  
"We are power rangers, too, Querida. Trey and Delphine are both Power Rangers, but we have to live our lives besides fighting. Losing you also is a concern of mine, because you are so important to me. But we also have a mission. I hope Trey realizes this."  
  
"Oh, Carlos, you are important to me, too! I can never tell you how much. Trey does realize it, but the fear still haunts him. And if he ever faces anything similar to that situation, I do not know how he will handle it, how to get over his fear. I have a hard time doing it."  
  
The last sentence was said so low Carlos barely heard it, and felt she had not really meant him to hear. She had told him she was no longer afraid to love him, but maybe a small part of her was. She had lost so much in her life, and he knew she did not want to lose any more, or what she had so recently gained.  
  
Hints of this showed in their relationship. After that first burning kiss in the other dimension, they both were a lot more reserved, keeping kisses gentle. He knew she was afraid of losing control. Maybe it had been because of her lack of control that time that things had gotten so passionate between them. It had been enough to show what fire existed under that controlled demeanor, and he did not want to push it, for she feared losing control again. It was the same with her laughter. She smiled readily enough, had a sense of humor and could softly laugh. But really letting go, she seemed unable to do that. She would have to set the pace, tell him when she was ready for giving a little more of herself.  
  
"Here come the lovebirds," said Carlos suddenly, looking over across the park where Andros and Ashley, totally absorbed in each other, were strolling down the walk hand-in-hand. They had managed to do it, he mused. Ashley had overcome the iciness in his heart and both had found love, and were unafraid to express it.  
  
Sharie looked over also, smiling softly. "They cannot seem to get enough of each other, do they? Lately, every time I see them, they are all over each other. Things are getting pretty serious."  
  
"I think things were serious from the moment they realized the other loved each other. And Ashley made Andros finally realize what a pain he had been. He has changed considerably."  
  
He did not add that Sharie had, in some ways, also. She might still be controlled, but she did smile more, her humor showed, and her eyes, while the pain of her past had not abated, were more willing to fill with humor and merriment than he suspected they did in the past, and was what he preferred to see.  
  
They could not help but watch as Ashley poked Andros for some reason and started to run, laughing. He shouted something and started the chase. She ran down the sidewalk, clutching her sides as she sped at top speed away from him, then changed course suddenly and darted into the grass.  
  
Andros stopped short and turned sharply, starting after her again. It was determined he was not about to let her get away. When she started to run up a hill, he finally caught up with her halfway and grabbed hold of her, tickling her mercilessly.  
  
She gasped, laughing, flailing her arms as he relentlessly ran his fingers over her ribs, making her squeal. Finally, she squirmed so much they both lost balance and tumbled down the hill.  
  
No sooner had they landed when she got back up, backing away from him. He had a devilish look on his face as he advanced, catching her around her waist and pulling her to him. He would have started tickling her again when she suddenly got a resolute look in her eyes, and a determined grin flashed across her face. She stopped him cold when she suddenly snaked her arms around his neck and pressed her lips to his.  
  
*That worked,* Carlos could not quite hide an amused laugh as the pair across the park forgot about everything else, too lost in each other. He could feel Sharie also trying to suppress laughter at the scene, for she was trembling, her eyes were twinkling, and she was shaking her head, her lips pressed into a thin smile as she struggled to hold it in.  
  
*That* gave Carlos a wicked idea. He had never seen Sharie so close to out- and-out loud laughter before, and he could not help himself. Wanting to really see her laugh, he reached down and tickled her under her ribs, hoping she was ticklish.  
  
She gasped and jerked, a surprised squeal, mixed with laughter, coming from her lips. He had been right, he thought, as she turned slightly accusing eyes up at him. "That will be quite enough, Perez," she said, though her eyes seemed to be betraying her.  
  
He grinned devilishly and tickled her again, as mercilessly as Andros had done to Ashley. She squirmed and gasped, laughing hard and thrashing, crying out, "Gosh darn you, Carlos! No one is supposed to know that..." she laughed again, breathlessly, "I am so.....ticklish..."  
  
"And why not?" he asked, not letting up in the slightest, delighted by her reaction.  
  
"It...is a...weakness....Trey always did that..." she squirmed to turn around, facing him as he continued his assault. For the barest instant, he felt her presence in his mind as she seemed to search for something, and he gasped as she reached up behind his neck, finding one of his few ticklish spots, and tickling him there.  
  
It worked, to an extent. He stopped, gasping, one arm slipping around her to crush her to him and the other reaching behind him, unsuccessfully trying to stay her hand. He squirmed, holding her tightly to him, as he guffawed. "Querida! That is not fair!"  
  
"It is too!" she laughed, delighting him again at finally seeing a side of her he had wanted to see. "You get what you deserve."  
  
He finally managed to stop her hand by closing his fingers around hers and pulling it away from his neck. She did not resist when he brought his hand forward, giggling, "Bad hand, Querida. You should teach it better manners."  
  
She smiled and shook her head, suddenly feeling very strange as his gaze went to their now-clasped hands, his other arm tightly around her.  
  
He gazed at their hands for a moment, the smile fading from his face as it became more serious. She stared at him, her grin also fading, as his eyes slowly rose to meet hers. Somehow, the intensity of his gaze did not surprise her, but and even stranger feeling, a flood of warmth and physical tingling, ran through her as he slowly lifted her hand to his mouth, his lips pressing gently against her wrist.  
  
Her breath caught, his eyes never left hers. He gently lowered her hand as his other arm pressed her closer to him, the mere action causing the tingling to explode into an all-out sensation assault of an intensity she was unfamiliar with.  
  
She did not know how much her sudden desire burned in her deep, intensity- rich gaze, but Carlos did. He could see it burning with an intensity that he had not seen since their first kiss, although that was not really on his mind as he gently lowered his lips to hers, covering them softly.  
  
It started out like most of their kisses usually did, softly gentle. But Sharie was completely unprepared for the sudden, fiery intensity that rocked her to the core as she felt something inside her loosen, something that had held her ridged for so long when it came to her own emotions.  
  
Maybe it had been her confession of the story she had told him. Maybe it had been seeing Andros and Ashley so carefree. Maybe it had been his unlocking a side of her she rarely showed, but she suddenly found herself powerless to stop her own body's urgings. She almost caught him by surprise as she pressed up against him and started to return his kiss with an intense passion he had felt hinted at but had never experienced in such an onslaught.  
  
He felt his own desire flood his senses in an incredible wave of feeling as whatever magic she was using to bewtich him took effect. He groaned softly and kissed her harder, his tongue lightly tracing her lips, begging for entrance. She readily complied, pressing harder against him, unconsciously in a way that bolted through both with jolts of electricity.  
  
His tongue gained entrance into her mouth, exploring it's secrets, tracing the even curve of her teeth and dueling lightly with hers.  
  
She had never felt herself lose control like this! She was on fire, completely out of control of her emotions and her senses and she did not feel the fear she expected to, even when she felt his hand on her leg, gently rubbing her knee. She did not care, even leaned into his touch, not thinking about where they were or what had been unleashed. It was not until his hand unconsciously slid a little further up her leg and the other stopped, having been touching, unbidden, on her heaving chest, and she realized maybe it was her hand that had unbuttoned the button of his shirt, that she was flooded with just enough reality to disengage her lips from his, though her body screamed at her not to. "Carlos....we are in public..."  
  
It took a few seconds for her words to penetrate his protesting brain, but when it did, he turned red and realized where his hands were. He was shaking with pain that was nearly physical as he sought to control himself and removed his hands from her burning skin. "Oh, Gods, Querida, I am so sorry...."  
  
"Shhh...." she covered his lips with her fingers. "Don't apologize. I wanted that as much as you did," she rasped, trying to control her breathing and on-fire body.  
  
"I--don't want to take advantage of you, Querida, you know that..." he began. She cut him off. "You never could, Carlos, even if you wanted to. If I had not wanted that, I could have easily stopped you." her eyes told him that this was completely true.  
  
"But would you regret it later?" he asked softly. She shook her head. "No. I am not worried about it anymore. Carlos, I should say...thank you."  
  
"....Thank you?" his lips quirked. "What for?"  
  
"For listening. For being here. And for being you. As for the regretting, no, I won't. But when the time comes, if it does, we will both know. It is just that..." she giggled. "A public park is not the place."  
  
He laughed as he pulled her to her feet, and they started walking out of the park. Then he sobered. "We have to leave soon, Querida. Andros wants us to do some scanning in some distant galaxy, and we will be gone while you and Trey are on Aquitar."  
  
She looked serious. "Don't let that stop you from calling me or Trey, or even the Aquitian Rangers, if you need help. I swore to help your team, and I meant it."  
  
"*Our* team," he corrected. "You and Trey are getting to be as much a part of us as we are."  
  
She smiled as he continued. "But I doubt if there will be trouble. In fact, I think Cassie is going to be meeting Phantom on the sly while we are gone. She did not directly say so, but she dropped enough hints, and I think Ashley knows for sure."  
  
"She is. She told me." Sharie blushed and smiled. "Let her be about it. They may have to resort to sneaking around for awhile before they can really be together. What Phantom, and the rest like him do is dangerous. It will have to be that way for awhile. And don't ask, I cannot say any more about it."  
  
His eyebrows shot up, and he could not help but ask, "*Do* you know Phantom's identity, Sharie?"  
  
"No," she said. "But I know more than I can say. That is also all I may say about the matter."  
  
Carlos shook his head but did not press further. It was just another mysterious secret in Sharie's past...  
  
**** "Are you ready, already, Lalinka?" Trey called up the stairs. They were on Triforia, and were getting ready for their trip to Aquitar.  
  
"I am *coming*, sheesh, Trey!" she answered in their native tongue. "It is that this dress is uncomfortable! I have not worn something like this since I was small!"  
  
"As if that is my fault!" he called good-naturedly. "Now you know what I went through when you dragged me shopping. I know you do not like dresses, but come on! Besides, our people don't wear them except for the most formal of occasions."  
  
"At least that is a small mercy." She appeared at the top of the stairs at last, and Trey caught his breath, once again struck by the realization that Sharie was no longer a little girl physically. Mentally, she never really had been, but now...her body was catching up with her mind.  
  
The purple-hued gown she wore was off-shoulder, with two narrow sleeves on her upper arms. The rest of it was form-fitting, to the waist, when it widened out and flowed down to her smallish feet clad in purple slippers. The gown was not wide, but not narrow or full.  
  
Her blazingly golden hair was mostly loose, but the top half of her curls were upswept off her face with a headband. She wore sapphire earrings in her pierced ears and around her neck was the locket she always wore, the tri-moon pendant, a full moon over two quarter moons, with Triforian writings around the edge.  
  
That was all. It was so simple, but it looked perfect on her, Trey thought. Her gown had no fancy trimmings, no glittery eye-catchings, and was simply cut, her style was simple, but she still looked stunning, for that was how she was. She hated fancy things and sought out to prove that she did not care what she looked like...but still managed to look incredible in the process.  
  
Sharie, too, had paused, looking at her brother. Gods, he was handsome, his dark hair neatly in place, his darker gaze showing the very depths of his being. He wore a somewhat different variation of his usual tunic, without the cape, and with a few extra markings on it, also simply cut but not distracting from his handsomeness Over his right eye and extending down upon his upper cheekbone, was the trademark golden streak that every Triforian was born with, and which Sharie also had, now not obstructed by the effects of a dermal regenerator.  
  
He held out his hand as she came down the stairs, and she took it.  
  
"You look beautiful," he said, swallowing. "Gods, Sharie, you grew up too fast."  
  
She shrugged, her slim shoulders lifting slightly as she blushed at the compliment. "I am afraid I cannot stop time, brother mine, though sometimes I wish desperately I could rewind it. But at least I can be glad I have you back in my life." She gave him such a heart-melting smile he drew her close and hugged her tightly.  
  
"Me, too, Lalinka. Now, let's go. Time is wasting." He kissed her forehead and took her arm in his, and they teleported out in two streaks of gold-tinged black and violet.  
  
****  
  
They soon found themselves teleporting into a hallway, near an entrance to a larger room. The other side was open to the sea, and water-waves danced on the walls. It was eerie, and mystic, hypnotic even, Sharie thought. She felt no tightening, no pain, no losing of splintering control. She was safe here, Trey likewise.  
  
A dark-skinned Aquitian in blue came forward, obviously he had been waiting for them. He bowed slightly, moving his hands in the traditional Aquitian gesture of welcome and greetings.  
  
"Welcome Trey, Lord of Triforia, and Sharie, Princess of Triforia. I am Cestro, Blue Aquitian Ranger of Aquitar. Welcome to Aquitar."  
  
Trey returned the gesture. "Thank you. We met before, Cestro, though it was too brief to get aquainted. I thank you again for rescuing me from the depths of Aquitar's ocean."  
  
"You would have done the same," Cestro responded easily. "Would you like to go to the quarters that you are to share, or would you like to go directly to the reception area?"  
  
Trey shot his sister a glance, and she nodded. "The reception area, please," said Trey. Cestro nodded also and led them through the doorway into the large room beyond.  
  
All activity stopped when they entered as all the occupants of the room, Human and Aquitian alike, turned to see who had arrived.  
  
Sharie could not stop a slight blush from rising to her cheeks, word about her had spread quickly to the other Earth Rangers, she was sure, and she knew they were curious.  
  
A human boy in a form-fitting, white uniform trimmed with blue around the wrists and collar came forward, his blue eyes twinkling out of a handsome face framed with sandy blond hair. "Trey! It is good to see you again, and welcome. I am glad you could attend this little event."  
  
Trey smiled. "I am glad I could attend also, Billy, but I doubt if your wedding is any 'little' event, by any means."  
  
Billy laughed and turned his charming smile on Sharie. "And this must be the lovely Sharie Triesta, your sister. It is an honor to meet you. Tommy told me about...what happened, and I am glad for you."  
  
Her blush deepened, but looking into his blue eyes, she liked him at once. "Thank you, Billy. I have also watched you often, though you did not know it. Congratulations on this fine day."  
  
"Thank you," said Billy as an Aquitian girl came wandering over, dressed also in a form-fitting white uniform lightly trimmed with yellow. Her large eyes took in the new arrivals.  
  
"And this," said Billy, holding out his hand to her, "is the woman I am going to join with today, Cestria."  
  
Cestria could not look more surprised, and appreciated, when Sharie made the traditional greeting first, speaking in perfectly fluent Auqitan.  
  
"Why, thank you," Cestria responded, returning the gesture. "And yes, I am very happy with him. I knew he was my lifemate when I first saw him."  
  
Trey could not hide his grin as Cestria pulled Sharie away from him. The two liked each other, he could tell, and would become fast friends in no time.  
  
There were several other humans in the room, mostly former rangers who had gathered, but Billy's father was also there, looking proud as proud could be.  
  
Among the rest, Tommy and Kat seemed to be keeping close, their eyes on each other, and Kimberly was trying hard to pretend not to notice. She seemed to be sticking close to Jason. Tanya and Adam walked around the room, their clasped hands and visible engagement rings showing how close they were. Rocky was actively chatting with Zack, trying to include Trini but oblivious to her boredom on sportstalk. Aisha was deep in conversation with Tideus, and from where they were standing, they were obviously discussing marine wildlife. Even Justin had somehow managed to sneak over, and he was cheerfully chatting with a pretty young aquitian girl about his age, and from the looks of it, she was enthralled with meeting her the first human her own age.  
  
As soon as Tommy caught sight of Sharie and Cestria, he broke away from Kat and came wandering over. "Hey, Sharie, nice to see you again, though I must say I did not expect you or Trey to show up here. At least, not until Billy told me."  
  
Her heart melted at his puppy-dog eyes. "Well, here I am, obviously," she grinned. He chuckled. She went on over it, "Could you get Jason to come over here, please? I have something I need to say to him."  
  
"Sure. Hey, Jase!" Tommy had no reservations about calling across the room. "C'mere a minute."  
  
Jason shrugged and came, Kimberly trailing uncertainly after him. "What's up?"  
  
"Sharie here wants to tell you something," Tommy said, indicating the girl beside him.  
  
"Yes I do, Jason," she said quietly. "I want to say thank you, for risking your life taking my brother's powers when he needed help, even though it nearly killed you."  
  
Jason lowered his eyes for a moment, blushing. "Ummm, your welcome," he said. "I did what needed to be done. Your brother is a fine man, Sharie. You are very lucky."  
  
"Yes," Sharie whispered. "I am." Her gaze sought her brother's form across the room, until she spotted him. She was just in time to see him raise his head and look in a particular direction. She followed it, somehow not surprised to see what had caught his attention.  
  
Delphine had entered the room, and her own gaze almost immediately found his.  
  
****  
  
His pulse was pounding in his ears as her eyes locked with his. Gods, she had the most intense eyes, they drew him in, nearly drowning him like the oceans of her world had nearly done. Except that this type of drowning he would happily accept, and the nagging fear that had haunted him for almost 2500 years he pushed down. This was now, and if he could, he would try again.  
  
Delphine had come in to tell everyone to take their places so the ceremony could begin, but when his intense gaze found hers, she became tongue-tied. Gods, how could eyes so dark glow like that? Or was it her imagination playing tricks on her?  
  
An eternity seemed to pass before she remembered herself. She shook herself out of her trance and called order, having everyone take the designated spots.  
  
Billy and Cestria came forward standing and facing each other while Delphine stood on a slight platform before them. Silence fell as the ceremony began.  
  
Delphine took a deep breath, trying to calm her beating heart as she began. "We gather today, in great joy and great harmony, to witness the agreed joining of two souls, Billy Cranston and Cestria. Their hearts have already become one, this ceremony will simply seal their souls for all time."  
  
A soft lapping sound, like soft ocean waves, could be heard in the background. Reflections of ocean waves danced on the walls, and seemed to focus on the two occupants about to be joined, lighting up their eyes and making it even more evident of the love that they shared.  
  
Delphine closed her eyes for a moment, than began. "To the heavens above, to whoever is watching, here is a young couple who wish to be bound by the sealing bonds of matrimony, so that their souls may be forever joined, to complete the binding which was begun by their hearts. Bless them as this ceremony completes that which they seek."  
  
Both Billy and Cestria, having been coached on this, pressed their wrists together and pressed them against that of the other person, their fingers not touching.. Delphine took a slender white cord and loosely bound their wrists together.  
  
"The binding of your wrists with white symbolizes the purity protecting your love as your spirits entwine in an unbreakable union. Now the vows you must take will seal you to each other, will blend your souls for eternity, should you wish it. Billy, do you vow to love Cestria for all time, in all situations, to care for any children you might be blessed with, and to always be faithful to her?"  
  
"My heart, my soul, speaks when I answer yes," he said, almost choking with the intensity of his love, and Cestria's eyes as they lingered on his.  
  
"Cestria, do you vow to love Billy forever, in all situations, help care for any future children, and to always be faithful?"  
  
"My heart, my soul, speaks when I answer yes," she whispered, barely audibly, but her eyes saying what her mouth had difficulty forming.  
  
Delphine smiled slightly as she reached for a beautifully carved white bowl nearby, handling it gently as she placed it strajetecally in their fingers, the white cord's looseness how showing it's purpose.  
  
"The both of you drinking from this one vessel symbolizes your new oneness, heart and soul, as you now begin the journey down life's path together.  
  
"Our hearts beat as one," Cestria whispered, eyes glowing.  
  
"Our souls are as one," murmured Billy, his eyes mirroring hers.  
  
"Through all eternity," it was said in unison. Cestria drew his hands and hers toward her as she drank the water from the bowl first, before Billy mirrored her action.  
  
Delphine gently removed it from their hands. "You may now perform the final act that will seal your souls for all time." She smiled, watching, as Billy's fingers entwined with Cestria's, and they leaned over their clasped hands, their lips meeting in a sealing, firey kiss. Delphine unobtrusively untied the cord in time to release their hands, for Billy's arms crept around Cestria as the kiss continued...and continued.  
  
The pair were giddy with happiness.  
  
****  
  
Next came a short tradition similar to it's earth equivalent, with the same intent. Both Billy and Cestria picked up a special, pure-white flower, that looked something like a chrysanthemum. There were audible giggles as every male suddenly found themselves pushed into a group, and Billy closed his eyes and flung the flower over his shoulder.  
  
A shout of laughter made him turn to see Trey standing there, flower in his surprised hand, and a bright red color staining his face. He had not even reached for it, it just seemed to fall into his hand--  
  
Cestria smiled, watching as most of the girls formed an eager group. She closed her eyes and flung the flower over her own shoulder into the crowd. She knew she had flung it far, and by the startled gasps and giggles, she knew her aim had been dead-on.  
  
Like Trey, Delphine had not meant to reach for the flower, but Cestria's sharp aim ensured it fell into her hand. She blushed as red as Trey had, unable to keep her gaze from wandering in his direction. Neither noticed Sharie, Billy, and Cestria sharing a conspiratal grin. They had planned it that way.  
  
Maybe this little prophecy would see itself through.  
  
****  
  
Afterward, there were dances. Aquitians were fond of dancing, many of their slow dances were similar to those on Earth or Triforia, though some were complex. Music from all three worlds were played, to accomodate everybody, and the dance floor was always far from empty.  
  
Though Carlos was not with her, even Sharie danced a couple of times, though she did not overdo it. It was mostly to get a few certain boys off her back who showed an interest in her.  
  
Once she got free of a particularly persistent Aquitian, she glanced at her brother, noticing he was having similar trouble. He glanced back at her, his eyes clearly saying "help!"  
  
She did. "Come on, Trey, you owe me one!" she said, catching his hand. He gave her a grateful grin as she dragged him away from Cestria's friends.  
  
"Thank you," he whispered as they started to move to the music. "I never thought they'd leave me alone. But what do you mean, I owe you one?"  
  
"I went through enough trouble getting Billy and Cestria to throw those flowers in the right direction, you owe me a dance." she informed him. "And next, you will go dance with Delphine. She is alone now, so make your move!"  
  
"*Lalinka!*" he hissed. "You did that! What are you trying to do, play matchmaker? It would never work!"  
  
"And how could you be so certain of that?" she asked as the short Triforian song started to fade out. "Go ask her to dance, or I will tell her you want to but are to shy to ask yourself!"  
  
She had cornered him. "You owe me big for that, Lalinka, and I will find some way of getting back for this little stunt."  
  
Sharie only grinned at him.  
  
****  
  
Delphine was standing idly by, watching the dances. Why was she here, when the only person she would even have an interest dancing with was not around?  
  
"May I have the next dance?" said a quiet voice. Her eyes widened and she turned, surprised, to see none other than Trey standing behind her, smiling shyly.  
  
Somehow, she could not keep hints of incredulous delight off her face as she smiled, placing her hand in his and letting him draw her out onto the dance floor.  
  
Another slow song came up, one from Earth, but it seemed appropriate, the soft sounds compelling them to relax and gently sway to the lyrics.  
  
After getting used to the movements, Delphine finally steeled herself to look up into his eyes. Again the intensity of his gaze startled her, but it made her relax completely in his arms, too.  
  
Gods, she hoped that what she saw in his eyes was not her imagination, or fanciful thinking, but what she really wanted to see!  
  
*Here in the dark, I see the sun, Here in the light, our two hearts are one,*  
  
His eyes were so intense, but so soft, gentle, and hypnotic! She could not tear her gaze from him, or his handsomely sculpted face. But his eyes-- when one of his hands came up, gently urging her closer, she became convinced what she saw in his eyes indeed reflected her own feelings. She had never been hit with such certainty before in her life.  
  
*It's out of our hands, We can't stop what we have begun, 'Cause love just took me by surprise, looking through your eyes.*  
  
At that moment, Trey knew his fate was sealed. Gods, she was beautiful, her eyes warm, her pupils were dialated, her full lips were curved in a soft smile. It did not change when the hand behind her head came forward, his fingers tracing her facial features, as if committing them to memory. "You are beautiful, Delphine, inside and out, you know that?" he said suddenly.  
  
Her eyes widened and her breath caught. "Thank you," she whispered, surprised he could find her beautiful. She was not Triforian. "So are you."  
  
He chuckled warmly, now knowing for certain she also felt the same way about him. *Sharie, I owe you a huge apology...*  
  
Their eyes locked again, and as the song continued, each completely fell under the other's hypnotic spell. They were completely oblivious to Sharie's smile of satisfaction from across the room.  
  
****  
  
Sharie watched them dance for awhile longer, grinning to herself at her success. Now, it was all up to Trey and Delphine, themselves.  
  
She sensed a hesitant presence behind her, and she turned, surprised to see Corcus, the silent, shy member of Delphine's team, standing there, not sure of what to say.  
  
"Hello, Corcus," she said quietly, giving him one of her famous smiles.  
  
He nearly choked, but said softly, "Hello, Miss Triesta."  
  
Her smile softened, causing him to relax slightly. "You don't have to call me that. My name is Sharie."  
  
He swallowed. "Of course, Sharie."  
  
"Would you like to dance?" she asked boldly. Blushing, he nodded, allowing her to take his hand. Both knew that there was nothing romantic intended, but she sensed he wanted somebody to talk to, not just stand silently in a corner like he had been doing, as was his nature..  
  
The next song was one from Aquitar, one of the very complex ones, and she was surprised at his skill as he led her through the various dance steps. Thankfully, she had prepared for this, and followed his lead without difficulty.  
  
"Say, you are very good at this," she could not help but comment. His blue eyes flew to meet hers, then he smiled slightly. "It is required for us to learn, if possible. Thank you," he said, a bit boldly, before blushing at his forwardness.  
  
She smiled at him again, making him relax more. He even got up the courage to ask, "Where did *you* learn our dances? You are at least as good as I am."  
  
She chuckled warmly. His arms relaxed their grip on her as she eased more of his tension. "I make it my business to learn about other cultures. It helps break the ice, especially in diplomatic situations."  
  
He laughed softly feeling the last of his tension drain and the last of the ice melt. From then on, he talked with Sharie easily, and by evening's end, each knew they had found a friend for life.  
  
****  
  
As the evening wore on, without realizing just how deep things were getting, Trey and Delphine continued to fall more and more under each other's hypnotic spell. Their gaze rarely left the other's, and they forgot completely where they were until the last song ended.  
  
Finally, they knew they had to disengage slightly. Trey looked around, Sharie was already gone. The other Rangers, most of them, would be staying for a couple of days, since they did not often get to vacation on another planet, but those who were left were yawning and making it obvious they were ready for bed.  
  
"I guess it is time to leave," said Delphine reluctantly, not wanting him to let her go. Where he touched her, she was on fire, and she knew only he could quench the flames.  
  
He felt the same way. "May I, uh, escort you to your quarters?" he asked shyly. She smiled and led him out of the room, down several myriad hallways, walking in silence until they reached her rooms.  
  
"Would you like to come inside?" she said softly, looking up into his eyes. He could only nod, for she had tongue-tied him.  
  
She opened the door, and they went in, sitting down to rest their tired feet. For a moment, neither were sure what to say. Suddenly, she said, "Trey, your sister, I think---she and Cestria, Billy too, conspired to pull off the flower toss. I saw them whispering just before the ceremony, when I walked in the door, and then they looked at us afterwards, and did it again."  
  
Trey blushed, not realizing Delphine had been so observant. "She did," he said, slightly embarrassed. "She told me later. I wanted to kill her for that, but now--" he broke off abruptly and impulsively reached up and touched her face gently. "I am not sure I would want to do that."  
  
*Gods, he wanted to kiss her so badly, but he did not have the courage--*  
  
"She is important to you, I can tell," said Delphine, trying to stifle her pounding heart.  
  
"Yes, she is," he whispered, trying to control himself. If he stayed any longer-- "It is getting late, Delphine. So I expect I must...say goodnight."  
  
"Oh, okay..." said Delphine, who did not, for a moment, want him to leave. "I will...see you out the door."  
  
However, when they got to the door, all thoughts of leaving left their minds. Their eyes had locked again, and suddenly Trey could no longer stand it. Their hearts pounded as one and their breathing quickened, and before either of them quite knew what was happening, Trey had his arms around her, pulling her to him, placing one hand at the nape of her neck as his lips covered hers in a gently seeking, but fire-intense, kiss.  
  
Her brain exploded with the pent-up passion he had aroused in her and she had kept under the surface all evening. She began to return the kiss with an equal intensity, unfamiliar with the fire he had bolting down her spine, but welcoming it nonetheless. They did not think about their differences, they only thought about *here*, and *now*. Now was here, with the person you loved in your arms, expressing your feelings in one of the most intimate ways.  
  
He lost control before he could stop himself, and he moaned softly as his tongue gained entrance to her mouth, exploring all it's exotic secrets. Her hands gripped his shoulders, hard, in response, as she lost her last hold on sane thought.  
  
How far things might have gone was left to the imagination, though, as the thought did manage to make its way into their hazy minds that this was the first time they had really gotten to know each other, and they had better slow down.  
  
Trey, reluctantly, released his mouth from hers. "I must go," he whispered regretfully, his hand cupping her chin, seeing her eyes dance with pent-up passion. "I will see you--tomorrow?"  
  
She nodded, reaching up on her toes and kissing him, a bit boldly, one more time. "Goodnight, Trey."  
  
"Goodnight," he whispered, kissing her softly once more and stroking her cheek before hurriedly leaving without a backwards glance. If he did, he would not have the self-control to leave.  
  
****  
  
When Trey got to the rooms he was sharing with his sister, he found her in her nightgown, reading a romance novel from Earth. When he came in, she glanced up at him, bewildered, taking in his flushed cheeks and glittering eyes. Then she smiled knowingly.  
  
"Busy night?" she asked teasingly.  
  
"Funny, Lalinka." he smiled tiredly, leaning down and kissing her forehead. "I am too tired tonight, but tomorrow you and I will have a little talk about your matchmaking skills."  
  
Her giggles were his only response. He shook his head, hugging her goodnight, and headed for the bathroom.  
  
"Taking a cold shower?" she called after him, unable to resist her cue.  
  
"Lalinka!" He admonished, but her words rang true, for that had been his intent.  
  
"Goodnight, Trey," she giggled, heading into her bedroom. He shook his head and headed into the bathroom. *Lalinka, you and I will *definetly* talk tomorrow...*  
  
**** Sharie tossed and turned that night, unable to sleep. It was not the fish dancing and swimming outside her window, or the reflections of waves shimmering on her walls. She had a lot on her mind, and it was preventing sleep from taking hold.  
  
Finally, she sat up and reached for the romance novel she had been absorbed in when Trey came in the door, intending to read until exhaustion made her sleep. She wandered out into the living area of their assigned quarters on Aquitar, curling on a double couch, and read by the dancing, glowing wave reflections on the walls, as fish, strange and familiar-looking, wandered idly by, watching her.  
  
She started a short while later when she heard a soft hiss from nearby as her brother's bedroom door opened. She looked up in surprise, he was standing there in his sleeping clothes, his eyes shadowed from tiredness, and full of--what, she was not sure. Indecision? Fear? Wanting? Or all three?  
  
"Sorry," he mumbled, seeing her curled on the couch. "I did not know you were up also."  
  
"I could not sleep," she murmured. "I have a lot on my mind."  
  
"So do I," he said quietly, accepting her gesture to sit beside her. She tucked her feet underneath her so he could sit, then stared at him as his eyes took off blankly into space for a minute.  
  
Just as she was about to inquire, he started, then looked at her staring at him.  
  
"Do you have on your mind what I suspect you do?" she asked softly. He looked at her oddly for a moment, and then his eyes widened as he realized what she was implying. Numbly, he nodded.  
  
"Trey?" she asked softly. "Does it really bother you--my doing what I did? I knew the possible consequences, but you would not--"  
  
He shook his head slowly. "No, Sharie, I owe you an apology. I am not mad, what you did for me--thank you, although you did drag Billy and Cestria into it. I would not give up Delphine now for anything."  
  
She smiled softly, then it faded. "But you still have some difficulties. Do you plan to tell her? I am the only one now, besides you yourself, that knows what happened, and only because our mother told me long ago, when I was small. Nikita was the last of her family." She did not add how she had told Carlos.  
  
He swallowed, inwardly wincing at the sound of her name. "I know she was. I could not hide something like that from Delphine, Lalinka. She would never forgive me for keeping something like that from her, I am certain of it. But I do not know when would be the appropriate time to tell her. I am worried that we could not even have a real relationship, for how much time could we have?"  
  
"That is not you innermost concern, Trey, and you know it." Sharie was firm, but quiet, wanting to hurt him as little as possible with the reminders. "Many people have to work out relationships like that, for example, Cassie and the Phantom Ranger."  
  
"Do you know me so well, Sharie?" he asked, shocked. "What is my innermost concern? Sometimes, I do not even know myself."  
  
She lowered her violet-purple eyes, blushing as she tried to put this delicately. "You are worried about history repeating itself, Trey."  
  
Color drained from his face. She had hit it.  
  
"You don't want to lose Delphine too, like Nikita was torn from your life. It is even worse for you because she is a Power Ranger. She constantly places her life in danger, even as you and I do. You are not sure if you could take it, if you want to risk it."  
  
"I *have* to risk it!" he choked miserably. "I cannot do anything *but* risk it! What happened tonight, Sharie, I cannot describe to you. You know how hard it is for us to fall in love, and how much harder it is for it to be broken? And how crushed we can become if the one we love is torn from us? If I lose Delphine on top of everything else, I am not sure what I would do. It would be as bad as if I lost you again!"  
  
Sharie did not object as his arms slid around her, seeking support from her. They had hit upon a real nerve, and she was quiet as he struggled to control himself.  
  
"Trey," she began softly. "It will be very likely that one day, you just might have to face a risk of losing her or me again. I may have to face a day that Carlos could be killed, or you. I am not sure I could stand it, either, but it is a risk we accepted along with our powers. It will not make the pain any less, or the sense of devastation. But it is a realization that you have to accept. Heaven knows, I have had to face it too many times myself. It was only this last time that I got any gratification on what I had lost." She reached up and touched his face gently. It was dry, but the way his eyes were glittering, she knew he was struggling to control his tears.  
  
"Lalinka," he murmured softly, hugging her harder. "I would not trade you for anything in the world."  
  
"Though I bet it would be better if Delphine was included," she said, with a hint of amusement in her tone. She felt his lips curve underneath her fingers. Her face became serious, though her eyes remained soft, as she continued.  
  
"All I can advise you, logically, Trey, is to follow what your heart tells you. It will truly help you to understand a situation at hand. It has worked for me."  
  
She could feel herself getting tired, she snuggled down against him as she sensed his quiet contemplation of her words. Inadvertently, her eyes closed upon themselves, soothed by his fingers running idly through her hair, like he had done when she was small.  
  
It was the last thing she knew for the rest of the night.  
  
****  
  
When her eyes fluttered open tiredly the next morning, she knew it was still very early. She was still on the couch, her brother had obviously fallen asleep soon after she had, for he was curled facing her, eyes closed, one hand still lightly on her hair.  
  
She smiled inadvertently. How often had they done this when she was small? She had often come to him for some reason or another when she was a toddler, and needed reassurance about something. As she had grown into a little girl, the habit had become so strong, neither of them thought about it. Trey had wanted a sibling for so long, and they had grown so close, it was completely natural.  
  
Now, years later, it was so easy to fall back into old habits, except that this time, it was she who had given *him* the reassurance.  
  
*Why was I so worried?* she wondered as she slid carefully off the couch so she would not disturb Trey. *I think things will work out better than I would have thought, but that is up to Trey, not me.*  
  
She slipped into the bathroom to bathe and dress, coming out in one of her typical Earth outfits of a short purple shirt that showed some of her small midriff, and jean shorts that came down to her knees. Her feet were in lavender tennis shoes. She twisted her long hair in a loose knot on top of her head. She gathered up her diary and a small computer padd that accessed her e-mail, and silently left their quarters, careful not to make any noise.  
  
She wandered the underwater halls for a short distance, until she came to a small communal area with furniture, meant for casual gatherings. It was empty, she settled herself on a couch and opened her diary, writing in her experiences of the night before.  
  
*...Truly, Diary, I do not know how things will turn out. I have a feeling they just might turn out like I want it to for my brother and Delphine. I could see it in her eyes how much she loved him. And I hope Trey soon tells her about Nikita. I don't think she will be angry because he had a former love who died, but she may be upset if he does not tell her deliberately, hiding the truth.*  
  
Just as she finished her entry and started to pick up her e-mail, she sensed a presence approaching and standing hesitantly in the doorway. Sharie glanced up, seeing, of all people she had expected to see this early, Delphine, looking unsure if she would enter.  
  
"Good morning," Sharie murmured, making the traditional gesture for greeting. "Yes, you may come on in, Delphine. You are not disturbing me."  
  
The woman relaxed slightly, coming in and sitting on the other end of the couch. She could not much look Sharie in the eye, and she opened her mouth, and shut it.  
  
"About last night..." she said at last. She was surprised when Sharie spontaneously grinned. This was the first time the two had ever spoken, and Sharie wanted Delphine to like her.  
  
"What about it?" she asked gently.  
  
"You--" Delphine seemed to be searching for words. "You pulled off the flower toss, did you not? You, and Cestria, and Billy. I saw you whispering--"  
  
Sharie could not hide a smile. "Yes, I am afraid we all three are culprits. But I would not approach the other two about it. I doubt if they will be seen much for the next couple of days."  
  
Delphine grinned in spite of herself, relaxing. "Why did you do that?" she asked. "A joke?"  
  
"Maybe, and a wish for the miracles of prophecy." Sharie looked mischevious.  
  
Delphine stared at her. "What are you, with the ability to foretell the future? How did you know that Trey and I would--"  
  
"Gods, Delphine, I have known my brother had feelings for you since I first heard the story of him crashing on Aquitar from his point of view. I did not have to read his mind to see what was so obvious in his eyes. It was Cestria who told me you felt the same way."  
  
Delphine turned red. "Then I assume it does not bother you. You and I never even met before this."  
  
"It does not bother me in the slightest, but I am concerned if it bothers you because I did a little matchmaking last night."  
  
Delphine relaxed, shaking her head and laughing softly. "Oh, heavens, no. Once the idea sank in that you had done what you did, I was determined to say thank you."  
  
*At least she does not know about how I needled him.* "And I should say good luck. Trey is good, and virtuous, but stubborn. I think you are too." Out of the corner of her eye, Sharie idly tapped her computer padd, accessing her mail. There were several, again, the one from Carlos topping the list.  
  
"So this is where you two lovely ladies are lurking." The familiar voice startled them both, and they looked up to see a grinning Trey in the doorway.  
  
Sharie also smirked. "Well, look who's up, Mr. Early Riser. Thought you'd still be out cold."  
  
"Not on the couch," he said, coming over and ruffling her forehead curls. "That position I fell asleep in gave me a terrible pain in my neck. I woke up stiff."  
  
"You were--sleeping on the couch?" asked Delphine, concerned. "Was something wrong with the beds?" turned his famous smile on her, and she blushed slightly as she found herself smiling back.  
  
"Of course not. The beds were just fine. I just had difficulty sleeping. Sharie did too, and we stayed up talking until we fell asleep on the couch. That's that." He winced and reached up, trying to rub the stiffness out of his neck.  
  
"Come here," said Delphine suddenly, motioning him over. He came obediently, sitting between them as she indicated. He stiffened in surprise as she hesitantly reached her hands up and dug her fingers into his neck, giving him a neckrub. After the first bolting of electricity at her touch, he relaxed, keenly aware Sharie was sitting on the other side of him, looking amused.  
  
The stiffness was gone on seconds. "Thank you," he murmured, turning around and looking at Delphine in the eye. "However you did it, that was good."  
  
She blushed, then glanced quickly in Sharie's direction. The other girl's eyes had wandered elsewhere, and her hands were fumbling for her things. It was clear she was intent on leaving, giving them privacy.  
  
"Wait!" Delphine said suddenly. "You do not have to leave because of us. You were here first."  
  
"I know," she responded. "I just heard from Carlos. He is back, and he wants to know if he can come here, Delphine, while I am here."  
  
She looked surprised. "Of course he can, but why--" she stopped abruptly as Trey leaned over and whispered something in her ear. She looked harder at Sharie, then smiled. "Of course he can come, and stay for as long as he likes."  
  
"If he told you what I think he told you, then you know also why I am leaving. I'll see you two lovebirds later." Sharie got up, smiling to herself, and headed for the door.  
  
"How old is she again?" asked Delphine, as soon as she was out of earshot. "She is awfully young to be in..."  
  
"Not really," said Trey, his hand somehow finding hers and his fingers closing over her small hand. "She grew up too fast, Delphine. For someone like Sharie, she is never too young to fall in love." He reached up and touched her chin, causing her eyes to grow wide with immediate awareness, and she made no objection when he leaned closer and let his lips cover hers very, very softly.  
  
****  
  
Sharie and Carlos, over the next couple of days, were amused to watch Trey and Delphine grow more and more under the other's hypnotic spell. Privately, Sharie was delighted to watch her brother blossom in a way she had never before seen him do, and she suspected no one had seen him do since he fell in love with Nikita. His eyes had come to life in a way she had never before seen, and he smiled more, was a little more spontaneous. She did not know how much she herself was changing in that respect.  
  
She also knew that, privately, he was still concerned about the risk he was taking, and worried. But he pushed it to the back of his mind, determined to give this new relationship a chance.  
  
"Cassie is *finally* on her way back," said Carlos, looking over a message from Andros. "Gods, she has been gone for three days. I was expecting her to be gone for a day at most."  
  
"She is taking advantage of her opportunity while she can," said Sharie. "And I cannot blame her. She and Phantom get to spend so little time together, any time at all is very important to them both."  
  
"I can understand that," he said, leaning over and kissing her cheek. "I feel the same way."  
  
She was glad they were alone, for whatever he had unlocked in her the other day when that firey kiss stole all of her inhibitions, she had had difficulty retaining them since then when she was around Carlos. Her body burned every time he kissed her, like now as her lips found his, and it was becoming more and more difficult to control themselves.  
  
Long seconds passed as they clung together, their lips scorching together before awareness penetrated her brain. "Carlos..." she gasped when he released her. "I think it is time we talked about some things. Like when we can no longer stop, for example?"  
  
He blushed, releasing her. "Sorry, Querida. I have though about that, too, but I was not sure what to say to you. You are right, though. I don't want to take advantage of you, or what about pregnancy, if we are genetically compatible?"  
  
She also blushed. "I cannot get pregnant, Carlos."  
  
He looked shocked. "Are you going to be like your mother? Have difficulty bearing children?"  
  
She shrugged. "I am not entirely sure about that, but that is not what I am talking about. I cannot get pregnant until I am nineteen years old. I won't even begin bleeding every month until I am eighteen."  
  
He looked surprised. "I would never have guessed. You look like a woman in every other respect."  
  
"Maybe so, but that last part...that is how Triforians are. Pregnancy is not a concern of mine right now, but I want to say that when you are entirely ready...I will be also. I know so."  
  
Somehow, he could not doubt her words.  
  
****  
  
Early the next morning, after most of the other Earth guests had long gone the night before, warning sirens suddenly wailed all over the command base on Aquitar.  
  
"What is going on?" asked Delphine, as she hurried in, followed by Sharie, Trey, and Carlos.  
  
"Pirates, Delphine," said Cestro, looking up from his console. "A whole fleet, invading our system."  
  
"Are they Divatox's minions?" she asked, looking over his shoulder.  
  
"Negative. They are of a type I have never seen before. And they are numerous."  
  
"Ready the battlezords and fighter wings," she ordered. "It looks like we have quite a job ahead of us. They destroyed the greeting bouys at the edges of our system."  
  
"Need help?" asked Trey and Sharie at the same time.  
  
"It would be appreciated." said Delphine gratefully. "The more hands, the better."  
  
"I can contact Andros, and we could be here shortly," said Carlos, unwilling to do nothing.  
  
Delpine nodded and straightened her back. "It's morphin' time!"  
  
And so it was arranged.  
  
****  
  
The fighting was fierce. Wave after wave showed up, and it took maximum effort on the part of all for the good side to win. Many times, all the Zords were jolted as they were the continual targets of the mysterious pirates.  
  
Finally, just as the good guys gained an upper hand, the remaining fleet became desperate, and they resorted to a new tactic, activating a sort of strange long-range teleportation system, focusing it on whatever ranger happened to be in reach, teleporting their enemy to heaven-knew-where.  
  
"No!" Cried Carlos as the third signal blipped off his scanners. Before they had managed to defeat them, Sharie, Trey, and Delphine all had vanished. "Madre de Dios, where could they have teleported to?"  
  
"I cannot trace it!" answered Cassie from her station. "It obscured their signals somehow."  
  
They were not oblivious to the frantic signals of the Aquitian Rangers as they tried to contact their missing teammate. Defeating the last of the pirates, a massive search effort was launched.  
  
****  
  
Delphine found herself materialized in a sort of cave tunnel. It was almost entirely dark, but she could see enough to know she was unmorphed.  
  
*Where am I?* she thought, bewildered, as a hot, dry wind blew over her. The rather intense heat of it made her suddenly realize that she could be in worse trouble than she thought. She had not rehydrated since very early that morning, and she would need to within the next few hours, or...  
  
Following the direction of the wind, Delphine started to walk, hoping it would lead to an exit of some kind, so she could get out of here and search for the water she so desperately needed. Hopefully, she would also find Trey, for he had vanished right before she had. Maybe Sharie also, for just before she had disappeared, she had noticed they had locked on the girl's warship as well.  
  
As she walked, trying not to turn her ankles on the pitted ground. she tried her communicator, which she soon discovered was not functional. Her morpher was intact, so if an emergency arose, she could call upon her powers for help.  
  
She also hoped that she was not on a desert world. For if it was, she might as well bid her life good-bye, for the chances of finding water would be close to nil.  
  
****  
  
In a different corridor of the long, winding cave, Trey found himself materializing and also unmorphed. Trying his communicator, he discovered, to his consternation, that it was useless. His morphers were online, so he had some protection, but he sensed no evil in this place. His teleporter was also useless.  
  
In fact, he could sense almost nothing. That was strange, unless the atmosphere had something to do with it. Some planets did. He was only vaguely aware of two faint whispers, and it was not until he pushed his range to the limit that he recognized both. Gods, they were Delphine's and Sharie's! Whatever had stranded him here had gotten them, also.  
  
He could not tell where they were, but Sharie's mental signal was fainter than Delphine's. That meant that she was either farther away or, heaven forbid, she was hurt. Hoping and praying with all his might that this was not the case, Trey set out to find his way out of this dark cave and find the two he loved the most in the universe.  
  
As he walked, a hot, dry wind stole over him, stopping him in his tracks. Delphine! He did not know much about Aquitian physiology, but if they were on a desert world, she would be in big trouble, especially if she was lost where there was no water. She could die from dehydration within hours! Unwanted memory flooded him, and he tried desperately to push it back, praying that this nightmare would not happen to him again.  
  
****  
  
Sharie found herself teleported to the edge of a shallow canyon. *What happened*, she thought, as she saw that she was unmorphed and her communicator was not working. She saw no one else, and she sensed no evil. Her telepathic ability was being hampered by the atmosphere, but by extending her range somewhat, she was able to pick out two minds familiar to her by now, Delphine's and Trey's. They were coming from the direction in which the river was running, toward the mountains in the distance. She would have to move to the same direction if she was to find them.  
  
There were few trees in sight, only the bunch crowded on each side of the river in places. A hot, dry wind swept over her, making her realize that in this semibarren land, Delphine would need water soon, lest she die. She was grateful the river was so near as she followed it downstream.  
  
Thanks to the atmospheric interference, Sharie could not send a telepathic message to either one, though she thought that their own skills were strong enough to at least sense each other's at full limited range.  
  
****  
  
Hours passed. What Delphine had feared was coming to pass. She was now greatly weakened stumbling along the corridor. It was brighter now, she must be close to an exit, but she almost did not have the strength to go on. Every part of her body pained and protested her constant movement, but she forced herself to walk on.  
  
She stumbled, causing her to fall to her knees. A sudden pain seized her middle, and she crumpled. Vaguely, she could sense emanations from Trey's mind, he knew she was getting weaker, and he was frantic.  
  
Desperately trying to ignore the fire that burned every nerve ending of her body, she managed to get to her feet again, her chest heaving with the effort. Holding onto the cave walls, she stumbled on a short distance, until once again, her foot caught on a rock and she stumbled again. There was an audible rumble, and she barely managed to back up out of the way as a large pile of rocks barely missed her, but covered the passageway enough to ensure that she could not climb over it in her condition.  
  
She could not get back up. She could only sag against the wall, closing her eyes as tears trickled down her face. She was surprised she had enough liquid left in her body for them. Pulling her knees up to her chest and laying her head on them, alone with only the sound of her ragged breathing, she willed death to come quickly.  
  
*Trey, I am so sorry for doing this to you....*  
  
****  
  
Not far away Trey, going as fast as he dared toward the light at the end of the tunnel, heard a loud rumble of falling rocks, and fear radiating from the mind of Delphine, whose mental link was growing weaker by the minute.  
  
Complete terror and desperation seized him as the memories of a former helplessness radiated over him, and along with it, a sudden surge of strength. No! He must not let it ever happen again! This time, he had a chance, and he was going to do it if it killed him. If she and Sharie died, it would be his undoing.  
  
He turned on his heels and ran as fast as he could toward the sound, bursting out of the end of his tunnel, seeing the exit to the cave in the distance. However, he also saw another tunnel entrance, the opening partially covered with rocks.  
  
"Delphine?" he asked hesitantly, terrified that there would be no answer.  
  
"T-Trey?" a weak voice answered. She was alive, but the extreme weakness of her voice spurned him on. Determinedly, he managed to scramble around the blockage at the narrow end, looking around frantically and finally spotting her, curled against the wall, almost all of her strength gone and too weak to stand.  
  
"Delphine..." he said, managing to make his way over to her. He reached out and touched her arm. "Delphine, please, look at me."  
  
"Trey?" She asked weakly. "Is that you?" She lifted her head, her eyes finding his in obvious relief. Her arms reached up and found their way around his neck as he clung to her tightly. "Gods, I thought you were a hallucination. I was starting to see things..."  
  
"Don't talk like that," he begged, drawing back to look at her. She was white, trembling, and her chest was heaving with effort. Her skin was clammy and cold, despite the heat. "Look at you. We have got to get you out of here, before..."  
  
"I don't have long, Trey," she whispered, touching his face. "Get out of here, save yourself..."  
  
"No!" he exploded, in such a way, she was shocked. "Gods, Delphine, no! I won't let this happen again to someone I love! And I love you, Delphine, more than I or you could ever understand. I would never leave you alone like this!" She drew in a sharp breath when he suddenly pulled her close to him and kissed her with a white-hot passion, absolving any doubts in her mind that he would leave her. Despite her weakness, she found herself responding to his kiss, pressing closer as if drawing strength from him.  
  
A moment later, he released her, picking her up as if she were a child. She gasped in surprise, but readily locked her arms around his neck. "Trey, are you sure about this?" she whispered faintly, leaning her head tiredly on his shoulder.  
  
"*Yes*," it was said firmly. "There is an exit nearby," he said breathlessly, stumbling back over the blockage. "As soon as we get out of here, we must find water."  
  
He managed to get over the blockage, which was more difficult with Delphine in his arms, and made toward the exit as fast as he could.  
  
He got out in the open, where the hot sun beat down on him and nearly blinded them both with it's startling brightness. Delphine gasped at the intensity of the heat, then closed her eyes, hoping, but not really convinced, that Trey could find water to save her on time. There was not a cloud in the sky, chances of rain were nil.  
  
She was growing limper and limper in his arms, her arms around his neck becoming increasingly loose. He felt his panic increase again as her breathing increased in difficulty as well.  
  
Images flashed in front of his mind again, the doctor shaking her head while informing him Nikita was gone, neither he nor she could have done nothing more for her....  
  
As he rounded a corner, Delphine went completely limp in his arms as dark depths claimed her.  
  
"No!" he whispered fervently, hugging her to him. "I have a chance this time, Delphine. I will not let you down."  
  
**** The one thing that was distracting Trey from total fear was the welcome sound of rushing water in his ears. There had to be a river nearby to produce that kind of roar, and indeed, he spied one in the distance as he rounded the corner.  
  
"Come on, Delphine," he whispered to the limp form in his arms. "Just hold on for a few more minutes, please." There was no response, she was too far gone to hear him. Her breathing was becoming frighteningly shallow as her body started to shut down. He broke into a run, going for the river as fast as he dared.  
  
Once he got there, he gently placed Delphine on the ground, realizing he knew next to nothing about their rehydrating process. DId they have to be awake to do it? He was not sure, but he would have to get her awake to do anything else.  
  
*I have got to wake her up, first,* he thought. "Zeo Medkit!"  
  
The emergency medical kit that his powers contained materialized in front of him. He opened it and took an empty bottle from it, and filled it with water. Praying that this would work, he supported the limp aquitian on his shoulder and held the container to her full lips, forcing the contents down her throat.  
  
At first, she choked, but instinct kicked in almost immediately, for she started swallowing obediently as her body desperately absorbed the liquid. It was not, by far, even close to what she could survive on for long, but better than nothing.  
  
After the container was empty, she stirred and moaned faintly, her brown eyes fluttering open and looking at him dazedly. "Trey?" she squeaked through parched lips.  
  
He felt relief flood through him. Thank gods, it had worked. "We are by a river, Delphine, and I need you to force your legs to work. I do not know much about your rehydrating process, and I had to awaken you first. I will support you, but you must get up. Do you think you can?"  
  
She nodded weakly, trying to make her limbs obey her commands to work, and they protested, sharp pains shooting through them as stubbornly insisted on refusing. Still, he managed to get them both to their feet ankle-deep in the water, her leaning heavily on his hard frame. Still, she sagged against him, barely having enough strenght to begin the rehydrating process of her own violation. Still, she managed as instinct helped, and a white shade came over her body as the process began, flooding her tissues with the life-giving liquid.  
  
To his indescribable relief, he could feel the strength returning to her limbs, and she stopped leaning so hard on him and her breathing eased. Color returned to her face as the process ended, and she straightened herself, opening her eyes and looking into his, seeing in them a mixture of relief, love, and incredible pain. Hating to see it, she reached up and touched his face gently, no longer needing the support.  
  
"Thank you," was all she managed to whisper before he suddenly caught her by surprise, pulling her close and his lips pressing more hotly and passionately against hers than she had ever before felt from him, mixed with a desperation she had felt hinted at but had never directly known the reason for. Her open mind also sensed that he wanted to tell her something he had been keeping from her, something that had caused him a great deal of pain. Even while responding with her own desperate urgency, she wondered at that. She had sensed it before but had not pressed him because of the pain it would cause.  
  
"Delphine," he gasped upon releasing her. "I love you, never forget that. There is something I must confess to you, but I am not sure how you would take it."  
  
"Tell me," she said at once. "I have known for awhile there was something you wanted to say, but you seemed so reluctant to say it."  
  
He nodded, steeling himself for what he had to say. She was astonished at how much self-torture and pain filled his eyes. "A long, long time ago, Delphine, I met a young woman named Nikita..."  
  
****  
  
After he fell silent, she was also quiet a minute. Gods, no wonder he had been so afraid, so desperate to save her, like he could not save his first love. At times, she had almost been overwhelmed by his fear, of a strength and urgency that did not seem to have sufficent cause, but she had not known why. And no wonder it hurt him so much, having the woman he loved ripped from him like that. She was only the second person in his life that he had found love with, and she was surprised that he had waited for so long, for he loved intensly. Did it bother her that he had loved somebody else first? Not in the least, except that it caused him pain. And she could see why he would not want to tell her. It was very personal.  
  
Her back had been turned to him as she contemplated this. Suddenly, she turned around and flung her arms around him, pressing her lips to his, catching him by surprise. It took a moment for his arms to come around her and crush her to him, and respond with the same passion.  
  
"I think," she rasped, pulling away, "That Nikita would want you to be happy, Trey. You put yourself through two and a half melennia of self- torture for something you could not prevent. It is time for it to end completely."  
  
"It does not bother you then?" he asked, his dark eyes imploring her, and wanting to believe.  
  
She shook her head. "No. I love you, Trey." She took his hand and placed it on her chest, where he could feel her heartbeat. It was going at the same accelerated rhythm of his own. "Do you feel that? My heart beats when yours does. I can feel our souls touching. If I was upset by it, I would not feel this, now would I?"  
  
"I love you, too," he said softly, eyes glittering. He pulled her fiercely to him and kissed her hard, fire raining down on both of them as passion quickly took over. His tongue quickly gained entrance to her mouth, and quite unconsciously, his hands started to roam her body. He could not help it....not when her mere presence was driving him officially insane......  
  
Suddenly, Sharie's mental image, which had been nagging at the back of both of their minds, became a lot stronger. She was getting closer, and just in time to remind them not to lose control of their senses by the river. Reluctantly, they pulled apart.  
  
"We have to find your sister." Said Delphine. "I can sense her also."  
  
"It is coming from upriver," he said, taking her hand and straightening his tunic with the other. "she is close, thank goodness."  
  
He did not add that he hoped his sister would say nothing about his near loss of control. She had almost certainly been close enough to sense what was going on...  
  
****  
  
She had sensed much as the hours passed, she mused as she continued walking toward the mountains. Delphine had grown weaker, and Trey had grown more frantic. Then he became almost desperate as she sensed Delphine's mental link about snap. Then a surge of hope from her brother, and Delphine growing stronger--they had obviously found the river right on time. Then came mental anguish from her brother, causing Sharie to cringe. What had happened? Then came a wave of understanding and determination from Delphine, and what Sharie sensed next made her stop in her tracks. What she felt suddenly bolting down her spine was...well, desire. It felt so weird, feeling it and knowing it had not emanated from her.  
  
*Trey, you had better control yourself....* she thought, amused.  
  
They did, for as their minds became clearer within her own, she knew their awareness of her had to become stronger also. They calmed themselves and continued to grow stronger as they grew closer, but she had had to stop for a full minute as she laughed. *Trey, you did it. I think things will work out just fine.*  
  
****  
  
"Delphine, Trey!" Came a shout. The pair looked up as they saw a welcome sight running down a hill toward them. It was Sharie, waving frantically as she ran to them.  
  
"Lalinka!" exclaimed Trey, catching her in his arms and holding her tightly, grateful to see that she appeared unhurt. "Are you okay?"  
  
"I am fine, and I am glad you two are also," she responded. "I was worried when I felt your mental link about snap, Delphine. I was glad when you grew stronger. It meant you had found the river." She did not mention what else she had sensed, and he seemed grateful she did not press the issue of what she had probably also sensed.  
  
"Do your communicators work?" she asked instead.  
  
They shook their heads as they continued walking the way Sharie had come.  
  
"I expect all we can do is hope for rescue." said Trey, sighing. "I have no idea where we are."  
  
Suddenly, an enormous roar split the air, and a huge black beast on two legs came bounding out of the trees and lunged at them. Everyone jumped in a different direction, trying to avoid the long, cruel-shaped claws and sharp teeth that the beast insisted upon wearing and flashing at them.  
  
Roaring again, fearfully, the beast lunged at Sharie. With a couple of roundhouse kicks she managed to get the beast off her, but not before she felt a stinging scratch on her wrist from one of it's claws. She gasped in surprise, the scratch was not deep, but it stung and there was an odd yellowish liquid from the claws also.  
  
The creature next lunged for her brother. Trey barely managed to leap out of the way in time. Sharie, thinking quickly, removed a knife from it's hidden sheath at her ankle and sent it flying through the air with a deadly accuracy. The knife buried itself in the creature's back, and it groaned, toppled forward, and lay dead in front of the river.  
  
Trey was speechless. Silently he removed the knife from the creature's back, washing the blue-red blood off it in the river, then kicked the body into the river and watched it drift away. Finally, finding his tongue, he returned the knife to his sister.  
  
"Lalinka, how did you do that? Even I was never taught to wield a knife like that."  
  
"Uncle Marek and Daddy taught me. They are of Indian heritage, so they know such things." Sharie's face was growing pallid and she felt herself getting dizzy. "Trey..."  
  
Her knees buckled so suddenly he barely had time to catch her before she hit the ground. "Lalinka!"  
  
"The creature scratched me, on my wrist. It must have been poison, because I do not feel well." she squeaked as her breathing became shallow and rapid. Trey could only look at her in horror as seconds later, she went completely still as she slipped into unconsciousness.  
  
His own face white, Trey gently eased Sharie to the ground. Feeling for a pulse, he saw a nasty scratch on her wrist, which was already festering. Picking up her other wrist, he felt for a pulse; weak and rapid. Her breathing was shallow and she was starting to wheeze as her airway clogged.  
  
"Can you do anything?" asked Delphine worriedly.  
  
"I am not sure," he whispered, trying to control his fear. Facing this twice in one day was not something he was sure he could handle. "Zeo Medkit!" He called upon it again.  
  
He quickly took out a cloth and wet it in the river, placing it upon his sister's burning forehead as her fever surged.  
  
"Delphine, could you hand me that packet of detoxifying agent?" he asked, filling a vessel with water. She obediently handed him the indicated envelope.  
  
"This stuff is powerful," he said, mixing the powder with the water. "It neutralizes most poisons, or at least deadens their effects. Let's pray it works here." He was never so grateful for the emergency medical training he had forced himself to learn, but it did not still his fear or worry in the least. If he lost her...  
  
Once he was done, he motioned to Delphine. "I am going to need your help. I have to force it down her throat, and I may need your help in case she chokes."  
  
When he proceeded to do so, Sharie jerked and tried to turn her head away from the bitter mix, moaning with fever, but Trey persisted, forcing the antidote solution down her throat until the liquid was gone.  
  
"Will she be all right?" asked Delphine worriedly. Within a few days, Sharie had become one of her closest friends, and she would hate to lose her.  
  
"I don't know. Only time will tell. Even if most of the poison is deadened, Sharie will have to fight off the side effects, and there could even be long-term effects. We can only wait and see." It was taking all his effort to not turn and pound his fist against the nearest tree, but he held it in. Gods, how much more of this could he take before he exploded?  
  
****  
  
As it was getting dark, they had to set up camp (if you could call it that) by the river. Though they were exhausted, they chose to take turns keeping a watch over Sharie throughout the night.  
  
****  
  
The night was long. Trey and Delphine continued to take turns at Sharie's side, while the other would doze fitfully nearby. The other could only watch to make sure Sharie did not become worse.  
  
Sharie was not having an easy time of it herself. Her color was grey- white, and her breathing was shallow and wheezy. Her fever was very high, no matter how much they bathed her burning body. At her worst, she was having delirious nightmares of the past, reliving her childhood kidnapping and when her mother had sent her away, and railing at the Dryseran who had been so cruel to her. She even relived her agony when the space station behind her had exploded, and she had thought her family gone.  
  
That snapped Trey. He could not stand it any longer. Delphine, who had been awakened by Sharie's delirious cries, saw Trey sink down, burying his face in his hands and trying to stifle cries of agony, pain, and guilt. Delphine quickly realized that the past of the two in front of her was a lot more painful than either had ever spoken of. She got up and, without a sound, slipped her arms around him, offering what support she could until his shaking ceased, though she sensed that this was one story she could never get out of them.  
  
About half an hour later, when dawn tinged the Eastern sky, and Trey had fallen into an exhausted sleep brought on by his emotional roller-coaster, Delphine heard a faint moan come from Sharie's lips as she shivered. Sweat broke out on her small, slim body as her fever receded suddenly.  
  
Delphine quickly went over and laid a hand on her forehead, which was now cool. Her breathing had returned to normal, and that grey pallor of death was gone. She was only pale now, to Delphine's relief. The battle that the girl had fought all night, she had obviously won.  
  
Just as Delphine was going to awaken Trey to tell him, Sharie moaned again, her eyes fluttering open to focus on Delphine, dazed.  
  
"Sharie..." whispered Delphine. "Can you see me?"  
  
Sharie nodded her head and started to sit up, but a look of sharp pain crossed her face as one hand came up to clutch her head.  
  
"Headache?"  
  
"Yes." The word was a whisper. Sharie managed to pull herself up to a semi-sitting position, looking around, Delphine suspected, for her brother. At that moment, the boy himself stirred and awoke.  
  
Delphine quickly went to him. "She is awake, Trey, and lucid, too. She wants to talk to you."  
  
He got up at once, his eyes lighting up in relief when he saw her in a sitting position now, pale and with shadows beneath her eyes, but otherwise looking fine.. His only thought at the moment was to kneel down and hug her now-cool body against his, and hold her like he would never let her go.  
  
"I am sorry, Trey," she whispered, holding him tightly and feeling him tremble. Gods, she had not meant to do this to him....  
  
"What?" he asked, pulling away to meet her gaze. "How much do you remember?"  
  
"Everything. Including last night." She rubbed at her eyes, trying to clear the lingering blurriness out of them.  
  
"How?" asked Delphine and Trey at once. "You were not exactly conscious, Lalinka." Trey added.  
  
"I just did, my mind is that way. I felt your despair for example, Trey, and Delphine trying to comfort you, even when my fever was high and one part of my mind could not sense anything, the other could. I wanted to go to you, but I could not leave the strange world my mind was in."  
  
At her words, Trey held her more tightly. And a few minutes later, they were never so glad to hear the sound of their communicators going off. Wherever they were, they had been found.  
  
Help was on it's way.  
  
****  
  
Trey and Delphine were in her quarters on Aquitar later that evening.  
  
"I have to leave in a couple of days," he sighed regretfully. "I will hate to go, I admit."  
  
"We can arrange for other times to be together," she answered gently. She was sure of it.  
  
"Do you think it would work? Do you want it to work?" he asked, drawing her close to him, and pleased to see her large eyes gitter in eager response.  
  
"Yes," she said earnestly. "When two people are in love, it is what they try to do, right? We can only take one day at a time. A bond such as ours cannot be severed by a couple of light-years." She reached up and kissed him. "And, after all, we have all the time in the universe."  
  
He grinned in response before crushing his lips to hers again. She pressed against him, their lips searing together in a firey heat. And she was ready, ready to take the next step, ready to have him teach her what love was about. And he easily understood what she wanted, and readily complied, for he sank down onto the nearby couch, she following him willingly, remembering to have the windows closed against outside eyes.  
  
****  
  
"What an adventure," said Carlos, as Sharie snuggled against him in the main room of her assigned quarters on Aquitar. "Looks like your brother and Delphine are off to a good start."  
  
"He realized that, despite what happened, he was willing to do this," she told him, sighing as his fingers idly ran through her hair. "It also made me realize the same thing, Carlos, about us. If you are willing to take the risk, then I guess I am, also."  
  
"Need you even ask?" he responded, turning her face him and pulling her up so her eyes were level with his. "Does Cassie need to ask Phantom? Does Ashley need to ask Andros anymore? We have the universe, Querida, right within each other. It is that way with love."  
  
She nodded in complete understanding, but the thought was gone as quickly as it came, for his demanding kisses stole all of her reasoning. 


	4. Unforgotten Revenge, story 4

Disclaimer: Whomever is holding the rights to the Power Rangers I guess owns it now.....whatever. Oh, yeah *happy dance* WHOOPEEE!!! I figured how to remove those stinkin' HTML tags without sitting here for hours on end doing it by hand!!! My readers are gonna be SOOOO happy they don't have to put up with seeing them each and every paragraph!!! (at least the ones on ff.net.....)  
  
Acknowledgments: Starhawk owns the concept of 'color withdrawal' and I am grateful to her for letting me use it for this series. The rest of you, webmasters/mistresses, friends, muses, loyal readers, also aren't forgotten by little 'ol me....  
  
This one has real reason to be rated PG-13, folks, as it contains some brutality and rape references....let's face it, Dark Dresden's a bit of a sicko.  
  
Unforgotten Revenge By ZeoViolet Teaser: A sadistic monster from somebody's past turns his horrors in Earth's direction....  
  
Of course, as usual, the day in Angel Grove was perfect. The breeze was cool, the sky was a vivid, deep hue of blue, and the Earth was green.  
  
Six whirlwinds of monochromatic color streaked through Angel Grove Park on rollerblades that morning, intent on having a good time after the latest onslaught by Astronema. To the startled observer scrambling to get out of their path, the group was going swiftly enough to be a blur of six colors: red, yellow, blue, pink, black, and violet-purple. After the swift sidestep to avoid the mad dash, the observer would catch their breath and smile, glad the kids were taking advantage of the perfect weather and having fun.  
  
"Andros!" Yelped Ashley as her boyfriend in red pulled her along at a breathtaking pace. "How do you know how to rollerblade so well? Haven't you spent much of your life in space?"  
  
"You know how I told you Earth is not the only place where humans live?" he called out, not in the slightest out of breath. Well, it is also not the only place where rollerblades are found."  
  
"Androoosss..." she tried to stifle a groan and a giggle at the same time, "you really must slow down. I am out of breath."  
  
He also laughed, obliging her. The whole group slowed down. "That is what you get for not practicing in double gravity like I advise you to. You think that average gravity is hard."  
  
"You want hard?" she panted indignantly, turning to face him. "Hard? I'll show you hard!"  
  
So saying, she grabbed him and pressed her lips against his, hard. He stiffened in utter surprise, then relaxed, forgetting the group of giggling friends nearby.  
  
"Ever notice how quickly they get to the heart of matters, TJ?" whispered Cassie.  
  
"You got that right," the dark-skinned boy snickered to his black-haired companion. "They sure can move quickly."  
  
Pulling up behind, a bit more slowly, were a Hispanic boy in black and a golden-haired girl in purple. They looked at Andros and Ashley in amusement, but said nothing to interrupt. They understood what went through the minds of the two kissing rangers at times like this, but they could not help but smile at the cute picture they created.  
  
"Don't they ever come up for air?" whispered Carlos at last. Cassie and TJ giggled, and they saw Ashley blush. She had heard them and finally realized where they were. Reluctantly, though, she released Andros. He frowned, not really wanting to let her go, but his snickering friends made him decide to finish the "matter" later.  
  
Carlos laughed again and pulled Sharie ahead with him, the other rangers trailing behind, more slowly this time.  
  
"So..." he said, not sure of what to say. "Will Trey be back soon?"  
  
"Sooner or later. He is a good diplomat, you know, but he admits that it often bores him to go to meetings."  
  
"Poor guy," said Carlos, smiling. "No sooner do you and he get back from Aquitar than he has to leave again. And now, he has to squeeze Delphine into the mix."  
  
"Would you say that about us?" she asked, looking at him pointedly. "I often have to be gone, Carlos, but I still am involved with *you*."  
  
His smile faded and he blushed. "I hope I do not sideline you too much, Querida," he said quietly.  
  
She stopped, realizing then how her words had sounded. She looked contrite and guilty at once. "Oh, Carlos, I am sorry! I did not mean it that way, honest! You and my brother are the most important people to me I could ever have, and I treasure you above all else. Don't ever doubt it. Forgive me?"  
  
The other rangers were skating past, looking at them oddly but saying nothing to interrupt, only going on, with the occasional glance over the shoulder. Neither person noticed.  
  
Carlos sighed. "It is all right, Querida. I understand you are often busy, and frankly, I am glad you found the time to join us now. I love you too, more than anything." He looked into her great violet-purple eyes, glittering with guilt. That and pain still seemed to come to her eyes most easily, and Carlos hated it when it did happen.  
  
He cupped her chin. "Don't ever doubt me on it, either," he echoed her words and his own. Gently, his mouth lowered to hers in a sweet kiss of promise.  
  
Finally, letting her go, he took her hand and sped up to catch up with the others, far ahead by this time.  
  
****  
  
Her eyes had gone distant again.  
  
He did not like it when she did that, when those purple depths glazed over and saw through everything, including him. Her hand was still clasped in his, but it was limp, and she no longer seemed to really be aware of where she was when her mind took her into the past, which had been caused, he suspected, by their earlier conversation.  
  
Gods, why did he still know so little about her? He knew that, even after all that had happened, he only knew the tiniest of fractions of her past, or her brother's. She had been an active power ranger since she was eight years old, and had traveled far, experiencing things that he could not begin to dream of.  
  
"Hey, guys!" he called to the other rangers ahead of them. Sharie jumped, startled, and stared at him in surprise.  
  
"What?" called TJ, turning his head and almost running into a tree branch.  
  
"Sharie and I will take a different path. We will meet up with you later."  
  
"Sure," shrugged TJ, speeding up to rejoin the other rangers.  
  
Strangely, Sharie had said nothing. Her face was completely devoid of any real emotion, except puzzlement, and she followed where Carlos led her without a word, her eyes also blank and glazed-over.  
  
When they were alone, Carlos stopped and pulled Sharie over to a nearby bench.  
  
"Sit," he ordered.  
  
She did, surprising him further. He knew of no one more stubborn than Sharie...  
  
He sat beside her, taking a deep breath and trying to gentle his tone.  
  
"Now," he began, looking into her unresponsive gaze. "Would you *please* tell me what is going on? Sharie, don't you know how much I hate seeing you like this?"  
  
He cupped her chin, forcing her to acknowledge him. It worked, to an extent. Some of the glass left her eyes as she finally began to look him in the eye, but those depths remained blank otherwise.  
  
"Please," he begged softly. "Tell me what is bothering you, Querida. Stop locking yourself up."  
  
She shook her head. "I cannot tell you."  
  
It was a whispered response at best, but better than nothing.  
  
"*Why*?" he persisted, determined to get this out of her somehow.  
  
"You would--not want to hear it." Her eyes lowered, and color flooded her face.  
  
"How would you know that?" asked Carlos, struggling to keep the impatience out of his voice. "How would you know, unless you tried?"  
  
She closed her eyes, as if struggling with something.  
  
"You asked me not to doubt you," she said at last.  
  
"Yes. I hope you do not," he added quickly.  
  
"Of course not. I have never doubted you, you are one of the first people I met in a long time I could fully trust, Carlos. Too much of my life has been built on deceit, and I still have so many questions left unanswered, and I have no way of answering them...why am I telling you this?"  
  
"You said you trusted me, Querida."  
  
"I do!" he saw the truth fire up in her eyes. "Maybe it is too much at times. I cannot relate my whole life to you, Carlos! Besides overburdening you with sob stories, I cannot reveal what would place you and your friends in grave danger!"  
  
Though she said this, he could see something else in her eyes. Though she could not tell him, so she claimed, he had little doubt that she did *want* to tell him at least some things, if nothing else but to get it off her chest. But she did not dare.  
  
"Querida, we are power rangers, I think we could handle a little forbidden information if you want to talk, and I know you do. And you would *not*, repeat *not* overburden me with your problems. I often see what you are feeling shadowing your eyes, Sharie. You have got to let it out before it all turns to bitter resentment and you turn to ice. I would hate to see that happen."  
  
"I don't want to be an albatross around your neck." She started to pull away, but he stopped her firmly.  
  
"You won't be. How else must I prove it to you, Querida? I want to *know* about you. I know almost nothing, relatively speaking, and I know even less about your brother. I want to help, but how can I when I know nothing, nothing at all about what lies behind that controlled exterior of yours, and all your rage and frustration boils up inside you, unable to get free?"  
  
She sighed, not wanting to admit how right he was. Sometimes she was so on fire with white-hot rage she felt she would be driven to do some unforgivable things if she let loose. So she did not dare. What would her quiet, complacent people, on Earth or Triforia, think of her for giving in to such weakness?  
  
She was barely distracted by a tiny "meow", and was only mildly startled when a tiny kitten came dashing out of the bushes and headed straight for them, the hair on the tip of its tiny grey tail on end.  
  
It had caught Carlos's attention to, and that Sharie was grateful for. The kitten dashed behind her legs and crouched between them and the bench legs, trembling with fear, her blue eyes wide as she wailed pitifully.  
  
Sharie did not know what had frightened the kitten so, but she could not do nothing. She was an avid animal lover and had always longed for a pet, especially a cat, of her own, but had never managed to be able to get one.  
  
Still, she made soft, soothing sounds in her throat, crouching over and placing a gentle hand on the kitten's grey head. Carlos watched, bemused and a little fascinated, as the kitten stiffened for just a moment, then seemed to relax as the soothing sounds Sharie made calmed her.  
  
Slowly, she moved her hand, slipping it under the kitten and lifting her gently to cradle her against her chest. The kitten stopped trembling entirely, snuggling into Sharie's shirt and beginning to purr, feeling safe.  
  
Once she had the kitten sufficiently calmed, Sharie gently felt at the small neck. "She has a collar on, she must belong to somebody," she remarked, turning the collar to see the license tags. One said, "My name is Aura."  
  
The other one said, "If you find me, please return me to Jennie Sheffield. I miss her." It was followed by an address.  
  
"That is just across the street from Angel Grove Park!" exclaimed Carlos, stroking the little head. "This kitten did not run far."  
  
"Then I suggest we get her home," said Sharie, cradling the tiny body to her. The kitten mewed softly and escaped Sharie's grasp, only to climb up to her shoulder and settle there. "She misses her owner. I told her we will take her home."  
  
It took a moment for that to sink in. "You did...*what*?" he asked, wondering if he heard right.  
  
"I told her we are going to take her home. Cats are much smarter than you think, Carlos. They understand almost everything we say to them. I just used telepathy. She knows."  
  
Tongue-tied, Carlos followed behind Sharie as she skated off. *If cats can understand us, I wonder what they say about us...*  
  
****  
  
"You found her!" exclaimed a brown-haired little girl, whose eyes were red, making it clear she had been crying. "Thankyouthankyouthankyou--"  
  
"That is enough thank-you's, Jennie," said Sharie gently as the little girl took the kitten and hugged her gently against her chest. "We found her and returned her, that is all."  
  
"My daughter was worried," said the girl's mother, appearing at the door. "She loves that kitten so much, it was a big deal when Aura turned up missing. I love the little thing myself. So again, thank you, you two."  
  
"No problem," said Carlos cheerfully. "Glad to help."  
  
After they had left, Carlos was deep in thought. He had not missed the eager look in Sharie's eye when she had held the kitten. She was obviously an animal-lover who desired one of her own, but never dared to get one.  
  
Something else also occurred to him, the fact that the kitten's timely arrival had prevented them from talking further about her past. And he was not sure now was the best time to bring up the subject again.  
  
It temporarily vanished from his mind when their communicators went off.  
  
****  
  
"What is it, Alpha?" asked Carlos into his communicator.  
  
"Possible trouble, Rangers. But before I say anything further, Sharie, are you listening?"  
  
"Yes, I am." Sharie was not quite sure why she suddenly got a sick feeling in her stomach, and she was sure she would not like the reason.  
  
"I am detecting a wave of Drysera warships outside of the sector. They are a powerful race, but little is known about them. But I do know that they happened to fight a war with Triforia almost twelve years ago. It is the fleet headed by the one known as Dark Dresden. Could you provide us with any information about this evil race?"  
  
Carlos had never seen Sharie go as sheet-white as she did when she heard the name Dark Dresden, and the expression on her face went from numb, to horrified, her eyes flashing with rage and fear, before it all went blank again.  
  
Carlos stared at her, surprised. Then he remembered, it had been almost twelve years Sharie had lived on Earth. And the name Drysera--did she not say they had attacked Triforia then?  
  
"I--I will see what I can do, Alpha," Sharie managed to choke into her communicator before suddenly turning and burying her face into Carlos's chest. She trembled for a full minute before she whispered, strangely distant, "Come on, Carlos, let's go to the Megaship. I have to tell your team about Dark Dresden." She pulled back, not touching him at all. Her eyes were once again completely blank, devoid of any emotion whatsoever. It sent chills up Carlos's spine, wondering what this Dark Dresden had done to her world...  
  
****  
  
The others were surprised, to put it mildly, to see Sharie so upset. She stood, leaning against a wall, her fingers tight as they gripped the wall behind her for support. Her eyes were haunted by old memories, and suddenly widened as waves of new ones hit her, hard.  
  
She suddenly gripped her forehead in her hands, and shook her head violently. It was as if a long-held barrier in her mind, suppressing memories she was not fit to deal with, had suddenly snapped.  
  
*Oh, Gods, oh, no! I remember!*  
  
Not all the memories of the time returned, and even with the barrier in place she had recalled a great deal of the horror of Dark Dresden's lifestyle. Too much had happened for her to forget it all. Over half the time she spent there had been blank, and now much of it came reeling back with a sudden, snapping force.  
  
Only dimly, over the roar of horrific images tumbling back, did Sharie recall where she was and that she had to deal with it somehow. She had to push it aside, stop feeling it....put it back under the barrier of her control, and get on as before.....  
  
Some spots in her memory still stayed mercifully blank, and for that she was glad.  
  
"I am sorry, guys," she managed at last in a choked whisper. "I am remembering things that my mind suppressed long ago. I expect they were because what I saw, nobody should ever have to witness or participate in."  
  
Andros looked sympathetic, but he had to ask. "So you know this Dark Dresden?"  
  
"Yes," she stammered. "Much to well. I want you to all listen closely, though what I tell you may make you ill." she swallowed before forcing herself to continue.  
  
"In many ways, Dark Dresden is like your typical bad guy you are bound to meet, a thief, cold, cruel, and quite merciless. But he is cruel in other ways that most intergalactic bad guys are not. I know him well enough, all right, for it was this man who was responsible for my kidnapping when I was five years old."  
  
There was an audible gasp, and Carlos came over to stand by Sharie for support. He took her hand, and she gripped his so hard he thought his bones would snap. She took no notice as she continued.  
  
"Dark Dresden is also evil in the sense of his sexual appetite. He likes women, and not just women, but girls as young as barely entering adolescence. Sometimes--" Sharie seemed to strangle on the word. "I do not recall seeing it, but sometimes, even younger."  
  
Sharie's grip on Carlos tightened even further, and he had to admit he had a hard time not yelping with sheer pain. He had no idea she was so strong.  
  
"When I was first brought to him, he looked me over as if I were a piece of chattel, a piece of trade goods--he even opened my mouth and counted my teeth. He said he would keep me for his servant, but once I was old enough to become a woman, I would become his...'comfort woman', as he put it."  
  
The words strangled in her throat, and she struggled to compose herself.  
  
"He was cruel, nonetheless. I was beaten more times than I cared to remember, and that was just the beginning. His lusts are well known, and older female prisoners of his are not spared from his driving senses. And I was his right-hand servant girl the three weeks I was his prisoner--I saw countless women fall victim to his...lusts, to be tossed aside until he wanted them again. He did not bother to shield my eyes, and their cries will haunt me for the rest of my life."  
  
Carlos was greenish, and he felt his stomach roll. He held onto her tightly. "You do not have to continue if you don't want to, Querida," he urged. "If this is too hard--"  
  
"*No*! I must tell this! If you are to face him, you must know about him, or he may not only come after me again, but Cassie and Ashley as well! And there is more you must know."  
  
TJ thought he was going to hurl, but he held onto his stomach and continued to listen.  
  
"Dark Dresden often taunted me about what he was going to do to me once I got old enough. He enjoyed doing his sick acts when I was within eyeshot or earshot, he was that way with many of his prisoners. There is much more I dare not tell you. I vowed to escape, which I eventually managed to do.  
  
"He thought I could never escape him, but I did. Much of what I related here I did not remember myself until now. I expect it was the idea he was coming again that snapped the memories back in place."  
  
By now, everyone looked nauseated. "Is there anything else?" asked Andros weakly.  
  
Sharie looked very sad all of a sudden, and she looked at Andros, seeming to steel herself to this.  
  
"Yes, Andros. What I have to say next especially concerns you. Dark Dresden also had a habit of trading goods he stole with other bad guys he came across. One of these individuals was Darkonda."  
  
Andros went white.  
  
"Andros, what I am about to say I did not remember until a few minutes ago. I was with Dark Dresden when he met with Darkonda at that time. With Darkonda was a little girl about my age. She had curly golden hair and was wearing a yellow outfit. Dark Dresden asked who she was. He answered that her name was Kerone and he had just kidnapped her from a space colony called KO-35. I'm afraid it was your sister, Andros."  
  
He started to tremble.  
  
"Dark Dresden looked her over, and asked what Darkonda intended to do with her. Darkonda said that he did not want the girl. Dark Dresden asked to purchase her, but Darkonda said only if any of his other prisoners had strong mental powers. Unfortunately, I was the only one. Dark Dresden refused to part with me because I think he intended to use my mental powers for some purpose or other, and since my brother happened to be Lord of Triforia, he figured I would make a good ransom piece.  
  
"Darkonda left in a huff, taking Kerone with him. I have not seen the little girl since then."  
  
While Sharie had been choking out what she had witnessed, Andros's face had gone from pale, to mottled, then completely scarlet with fury.  
  
"Damn!" he exploded. "Damn them all to hell!"  
  
The words spilled, unstoppable, from his lips. He sank down into a chair, burying his face in his hands, shaking all over. Ashley was there at once, trying to comfort her boyfriend. Still, they heard him whisper, "Kerone, why did I not keep a closer eye on you?"  
  
Sharie broke away from Carlos and knelt beside Andros, laying a gentle hand on his shoulder. "I am so sorry, Andros," she whispered fiercely. "I wanted so desperately to help Kerone, but Dark Dresden had me chained to the wall at the time, since most of his men were out fighting. I could not get free."  
  
His head raised, and his tear-filled eyes, though angry, also reassured her. "It is all right, Sharie. I don't blame you. In fact, I am grateful to you for your insight. It's just that--well, it hurts so badly, sometimes." He shuddered, trying to get the visions of what had happened that horrible day from dancing in front of his eyes again.  
  
"I know. I swear to you that I will do everything possible to find your sister, and end this whole stupid charade."  
  
"How did she look?" he asked, almost fearfully. "Beaten, starved?"  
  
"No, she looked well cared for, but she was lonely and scared. She and I did speak while Dark Dresden and Darkonda were arguing. She does not blame you, Andros. So you should not blame yourself."  
  
"Maybe not," Andros sighed. "But it is still damned hard not to."  
  
"Incoming transmission," said DECA, for some reason her voice more quiet than usual.  
  
"Who is it from?" asked TJ, glad for the distraction.  
  
"It is from the Phantom Ranger," she answered soberly. Cassie's head came up at the name.  
  
"Put it on," she urged.  
  
The message was prerecorded, and they watched as Phantom's dark figure came on the screen.  
  
"I am on my way to Earth, Rangers." he said. "There is a fleet of Dryseran Warships headed toward you, and I believe you are in danger. I will meet you on Earth shortly."  
  
Sharie raised her head. "DECA, where is the fleet headed?"  
  
"Their current destination appears to be a planet about eight light-years from Earth." she responded.  
  
Sharie could not suppress a groan. "Wonderful. If he is setting up base camp that close to Earth, then he must be scoping Earth out for its riches. With Astronema so close, she has either given him her blessing or he has yet to contend with her. Plus, he may have another reason to be here. Me."  
  
"You?" echoed Ashley.  
  
"Yes, I still know many forbidden things about his people, and it is death for any non-dryseran to know these things. And I did escape him, made a fool out of him. I believe he would like to see me dead."  
  
"I think that we had better keep an eye on things for now," said Andros, his eyes dark. "Or Earth could be in big trouble."  
  
"Big trouble is right," said Sharie, her face once again devoid of any emotion as she fought to control her inner turmoil. "I am going to contact my brother. He and I know Dryseran battle tactics, and we both have a score to settle with this louse if he tries anything stupid. Besides, we are going to need all the help we can get."  
  
****  
  
"Do you mind if I use your communications system, Andros?" asked Sharie quietly.  
  
He shrugged, his eyes distant after what she had told him. "Go ahead."  
  
Sharie nodded and went to a nearby console. "I will meet up with you and the Phantom Ranger later," she said over her shoulder. "There are some things I need taken care of, first."  
  
Andros only nodded as the rangers headed out the door toward their teleportation tubes.  
  
*Be careful, Querida.* she blinked in surprise. How had he done that? She had not taught him yet...or her mental barriers were not up as far as they needed to be.  
  
*I will try, Carlos,* she sent back, either way. She saw a startled expression, followed by a slight smile, cross his face just as the door closed.  
  
Sharie turned back to the console. "DECA, open a channel to Triforia."  
  
"Channel open."  
  
DECA, I am going to input a special lockdown sequence to prevent the conversation between myself and Triforia from being overheard by someone who should not listen. Understand?"  
  
"Understood." DECA made no protest as Sharie added the sequence, locking the signal down for protection.  
  
"Send the signal directly to the Royal House, DECA."  
  
"Complying." The computer, usually of the nosy type, made no comment, seeming to sense how important this was.  
  
Receiving response." The screen in front of Sharie turned on, to reveal a boy with dark hair and blue eyes staring intently at her. "This is the Royal House of Triforia, Troy speaking."  
  
"Troy," she said to her brother's best friend. "Is Trey back yet? This is an emergency. I must speak to him at once."  
  
"He is," said the boy with obvious surprise. "But why--"  
  
"Get him, now! I must talk to him!"  
  
The boy made no further comments, only nodded and vanished from the screen.  
  
Sharie tapped her toes impatiently as the moments passed, her anxiety growing. She pressed her fingers against her temples, trying to will the images dancing in front of her eyes away. She did not want to remember, but the memories kept springing up....  
  
"Trey here," said a somewhat breathless voice, as her brother suddenly appeared at the terminal. An immediate look of concern crossed his face. "What is wrong, Lalinka?"  
  
Sharie opened her eyes and dropped her hands. She had not meant for him to see her like that. "Trey," she said, switching to an almost-unused Triforian dialect which few offworlders knew. "Speak to me only in this language."  
  
His dark eyes widened in surprise, but he did not question her. "Like this?" he responded in the same difficult dialect.  
  
She nodded her head, steeling herself for what she had to say. "Trey, we have a major problem on our hands. *He* is back. Dark Dresden is setting up base camp on a planet eight light-years from Earth. I fear that this planet is his next target."  
  
She watched as her brother's face went pale, his eyes reflecting the churning in her own stomach.. "Dark Dresden? Not the same person who--"  
  
"Yes, Trey, the same person who was responsible for my kidnapping all those years ago."  
  
Trey was outraged. She watched in surprise as his dark eyes flashed, he was fighting to suppress a temper he almost never showed. "Dark Dresden! What is that Hock'Thath doing in our local galaxy cluster? I thought we had made sure we had banished him!"  
  
"Trey!" Sharie was a bit beyond shocked now. "As mad as you are, must you use words like that?"  
  
At her reprimanding, yet pleading tone, he quieted. "Sorry, Lalinka. You and I both still have a personal score to settle with that cruel monster, for not only what he did to you, but for his crimes against many worlds and his many victims."  
  
"Can you come to Earth? We are going to need all the help we can get."  
  
His eyes flashing, he nodded. "I will be there shortly, Lalinka."  
  
"Did you finish building your own Zeo Universal Surfer?"  
  
"Yes, but I still do not know how to use it, and I have not taken it for any trial runs."  
  
"You can do it over here. I will teach you tonight. The Lightstar Rangers and I are keeping a close eye on the Dryseran Fleet, and we also may have the help of the Phantom Ranger."  
  
"They Pyramidas is ready. At top speed, I should be there in an hour or so."  
  
"Okay, Trey, once you get here, I will train you in the use of your Universal Surfer. Trust me, you will need it."  
  
"Understood, Lalinka. Please, be careful. Trey out."  
  
Sharie sighed and leaned against the wall, worried. She had almost never seen her brother so angry, and it was not a pleasant sight to see. Like her, he strove at his utmost to hide the fierce temper he had been born with, inherited from their mother. Neither liked to give in to passionate anger, even if it was healthy, because of how rare it was in Triforia's peaceful society. It was simply rarely in their nature.  
  
In all of Triforia's 70-million-year civilized history, a few of those types had strayed toward the dark side. If they were caught, most were rehabilitated. But if their crimes had been especially heinous, and they had been completely willing to commit their acts of evil without outside influence...well, it set the stage for Triforia's only legal death penalty. In all of Triforia's history, it had happened very, *very* infrequently. The last time had been 400 years ago, and she knew it made Trey sick to think about it, for it was he who had given the order for death.  
  
****  
  
Dark Dresden scowled as one of his followers, a man named Dyson, came up panting. "Sir, we have just monitored a transmission from Earth to Triforia. Power source is unknown, but it was boosted with Zeo energy."  
  
The evil monarch straightened, contemplating this. He was tall, tan, and quite handsome. His hair was a stunning gold, and his eyes were blue, easily prompting the name Dresden, those fancy porcelain dolls meant for display shelves. It was not until someone looked into them, however, that they noticed how icy those blue eyes were, how cold and cruel this man was, and there had almost never been any sign of pity enter those icy depths. Antarctica was warmer.  
  
"Well," he muttered, standing up to his full 6'7" height. "Who was talking to whom?"  
  
"Unknown, sir. The channel was locked."  
  
"Well, unlock it, Dolt! I want to know what it said!"  
  
Just then, a slave girl came hurrying up. She handed Dyson a computer pad before scurrying off again, not wanting to be around when Dark Dresden retired or otherwise felt the need for "entertainment."  
  
Dyson glanced at the pad. "We have broken the transmission, sir. It took them some time but those old Triforian references came in handy. It was a message from the princess Sharie Triesta to Trey Triesta, Lord of Triforia. But they were speaking in a language unfamiliar to our computers, so it cannot be translated."  
  
"Damn!" Dark Dresden swore. "Why didn't I pick up some of that lingo when I was there? It was probably Sharie asking Trey for help. I knew those rumors of her being alive were true, Dyson, I just knew it! I am going to have my revenge on that girl if it is the last thing I do. She made too much of a fool out of me, I will see her dead, plus she knows too much. Of course, a little bonus is the world she is living on now. Do you have that geological survey done yet, Dyson?"  
  
"Yes, sir. Gold and silver are widely scattered, the core of the planet is molten iron, like several other planets." Dyson obeyed, reading off the report. "But here is the big part. The planet is extremely rich in limestone, one of our most precious resources. It has more than Triforia, and that world was seven times larger than Earth's. Plus, limestone does not have much value to them except as a vague ingredient in some of their products."  
  
"Then I doubt if they will mind if we take it." Said Dark Dresden, his cold blue eyes twinkling with interest as he rubbed his chin. "This planet will make me rich, Dyson, rich! Plus, I heard the female population can be pretty appealing."  
  
"Sir--" Dyson hesitated, not sure if he should say this.  
  
"What *is* it?" Dark Dresden snapped, although he felt he knew what his right-hand man was going to say.  
  
"You remember what Astronema said. She forbade you to touch the women on Earth. Most evil people do not have your...preferences, you know."  
  
"What she does not know won't hurt her any," Dyson snapped, rubbing his chin again. "Damn that woman! I could have wrung her pretty little neck for forbidding me that, if she were not a sorceress. Although it would be a pity if I did. She is beautiful, I have to admit."  
  
"You reputation preceded you, sir," Dyson dared to say. "Why do you think she was flanked by Darkonda, Ecliptor, and a bunch of Quantrons? Darkonda and Ecliptor will be here soon to make sure you don't turn traitor. She said that if you do, she would..."  
  
"She made her meaning perfectly clear, Dyson! I don't need to have it repeated!" Dark Dresden snapped, though he paled slightly at the idea of what Astronema had threatened to part him with. "But as I said, what she does not know won't hurt her. Now go away, and send pretty little Marla to fetch my lunch."  
  
"Yes, Sir," gulped Dyson, not caring to think about what else Dark Dresden had in mind. Gods, how he hated this job! If he had a choice, which he did not, he would quit, then and there. But Dark Dresden's cold blue eyes told him he would book no opposition.  
  
Dyson went out of Dark Dresden's chambers. "Marla!"  
  
****  
  
"I believe they plan to strike soon, Rangers," said the Phantom Ranger just as Sharie joined them. She already had some idea of what he was talking about, so he did not need to fill her in.  
  
"Do you know when, exactly?" asked Cassie, her dark eyes concerned.  
  
"Not exactly, that I did not overhear, I am afraid. But I will be willing to help in any way I can." The Phantom Ranger cast a curious glance at Sharie, for he had never before seen her unmorphed. "Is this the person whom you mentioned to me, Cassie?"  
  
"Yes, this is Sharie Triesta, the Violet Ranger." Cassie gestured to her friend. "Sharie, this is the Phantom Ranger."  
  
Sharie's purple eyes locked with Phantom's visor. "I know. We have met before."  
  
"You have?" echoed Carlos in surprise. "When?"  
  
"It has been several years, now. Until recently, when I was out in space, I often followed a general mode that Phantom does, and many did not see my face. This is the first time he has seen me unmorphed."  
  
TJ looked puzzled. "You did not even demorph around another Power Ranger?"  
  
"No, by force of habit and the fact it was easier for your foe to believe you had some power and merit if they did not know you were a young girl of fourteen."  
  
"How old are you?" asked Phantom, curiosity. "I though you might be young, but certainly not--"  
  
"I am seventeen now, I will be eighteen soon enough," Sharie sighed. "Surprise you?"  
  
Phantom nodded. "Now I understand why you hid your face."  
  
She shrugged. "Just like I know about your group's mission that prevents you from demorphing."  
  
He straightened. "How much do you know about that?" he asked in a low, serious voice.  
  
"I cannot say here, " she responded. "I swore not to. Trey will be coming soon, guys," she said to change the subject. "I will be busy with him for the rest of the afternoon. Be sure to contact me if *anything* happens, okay?"  
  
Andros nodded his assent.  
  
****  
  
About an hour later, the Pyramidas cloaked and entered Earth's atmosphere and docked.  
  
Trey teleported directly over to his sister's main warship, where she had been working on her own universal surfer in a vain attempt to quell the raging emotions assaulting her senses as more and more long-hidden memories came to light.  
  
She was concentrating so intensely, she did not even notice the black-and- gold flash that announced his arrival, his newly-built Surfer by his side.  
  
He sighed silently. Was this how he had looked to other people who complained he had been too driven? She appeared that way now, as if trying to bury the unwanted memories against a wall of icy numbness where there was no pain.  
  
He had once thought it possible to do this, that work was escape.  
  
Now he knew how futile that was.  
  
"Lalinka," he called gently.  
  
She jumped, whirling to face him. "Trey! You're here!" she seemed frozen to the floor as he swiftly crossed the room in long strides, pulling her into his arms. Except for the surprise, he had been shocked at how empty, yet tormented, her eyes were.  
  
He was dismayed at her shivering form, but he could not blame her. Those days she had been gone, due to that monster, he could never forget the agony of not knowing. And then she had come back somehow, but had not dared say why Then days later, she was gone again...  
  
He pulled back and looked into her haunted gaze, gently touching her cheek. "Will you be okay?" he asked gently. She nodded, but something about her eyes belied her words. No, he knew, this was definitely *not* okay. Could they never put their past behind them, try and live a normal life?  
  
He sensed she wanted to change the subject, and he could do little but oblige. "I brought my Surfer, Sharie, like you asked."  
  
She seemed to pounce upon the distraction gladly. "Good," she whispered, swallowing and trying to will the tears from her eyes. No, she was *not* going to cry and lose control again...  
  
She pulled away from him and went over to investigate it. "You did a good job on this," she murmured, examining the sleek black Surfer, highly trimmed with a gold color. "It all looks like it is here, but there is something I want to add."  
  
"What?" he asked, curious when she picked up a sqarish object from a nearby table.  
  
"This is a phasing cloaking device. I have installed one in my Surfer already, it not only cloaks the person on the Surfer, it also phases them so they can pass through solid matter at a thought."  
  
His eyes widened, and he took it from her, examining it closely. "Lalinka, where did you get this?"  
  
"I made it. I got the idea from how our cloaking devices are used, plus how you and I use our "Gold Rush" and "Violet Rush" moves, and how the Phantom Ranger can do this with his ruby. I sort of combined the effects. The only glitch is they are not very durable, but considering the circumstances, they are best installed now."  
  
Trey only shook his head, marveling at the cleverness of the device. He was quiet when Sharie took it from him, explaining how it was installed and how the device worked with the rider's commands.  
  
"Ready to go out?" she asked at last. He nodded, but she warned him, "Pay strict attention to what I say to you, because if your center of balance is not right, you will fly right off it. Understand?"  
  
He nodded again, raising his wrists and crossing them. She mirrored his action.  
  
"Gold Ranger Power!"  
  
"Violet Ranger Power!"  
  
There were two brilliant flashes as the power from their crystals and the Morphin Grid rushed through their bodies, adding strength, durability, and knowledge to their bodies and minds, preparing them for the warrior ways.  
  
They blasted out of the airlock, traveling a safe distance from the ship.  
  
"Remember what I said," Sharie warned him. "Lean forward slightly to make it go forward, and press down with your right or left foot to make it turn in those directions. But be careful--the harder you press, the more sharply you turn. Press too hard, and you can go way off course, or even fall off it if your balance is not centered enough."  
  
Trey nodded, paying rapt attention as his sister demonstrated a few easy moves to him. He did his best to follow her, but he had never been on anything like these contraptions before, and sure enough, he fell off after turning too sharply.  
  
Thankfully, Sharie heard his yelp of surprise and swung around, pressing her toes hard on the levers to increase her speed. She dashed over, and pulled him onto her Surfer before he got far.  
  
"Those things are hard," he panted in relief, placing his hands on her shoulders for support to regain his balance as she maneuvered her Surfer to his.  
  
"Actually, no, they are quite easy," she remarked as she helped him back onto his Surfer. He wobbled for a moment, trying to find his footing. Finally, he got his balance centered, and stood straight but still on his Surfer. Sharie, watching him, got an idea.  
  
*Let me try to instruct you telepathically, so you are not distracted,* her voice echoed into his mind. *It might be easier, since you are used to it.*  
  
He agreed, for much instruction on Triforia could take place by knowledge infusion. Telepathic instruction like this was not quite the same thing, but it was similar enough he could catch on much more quickly than verbal instruction.  
  
Indeed, over the next couple of hours, Trey improved dramatically and soon felt comfortable with maneuvering. He no longer fell off and could make sharp turns without batting an eye. Next they moved on to more complicated moves, how to jump or duck to avoid being shot while still keeping pace with the Surfer, and how to let his feet instinctively control the Surfer while his brain could work on more important matters. By the time they finished, Trey had the feeling he was in control and could face most situations.  
  
"Now bind your knowledge to your powers, Trey," she advised him. "And you, along with any future holders of the Gold Powers, will know how."  
  
"I will see to that," he assured her, feeling just a bit triumphant and not wanting to have to learn everything all over again.  
  
****  
  
"DECA, could you do me a favor and go away for awhile?" asked Cassie politely after she and Phantom had entered the engine room to scan. "No cameras or audio, please."  
  
The nearest camera blinked at her for a moment, contemplating this. The computer seemed to regard her and Phantom, and their desire for privacy.  
  
"Okay, Cassie," she said at last. "But if I sense that there are problems in here, I will turn my cameras back on, for safety's sake, no matter what. All right?"  
  
"Okay," Cassie shrugged, grateful that the computer had seemed to understand so easily. "Thanks, DECA."  
  
"You're welcome," said the computer sweetly, as every camera within the room withdrew into wall panels.  
  
After they were gone, Cassie sighed and turned toward Phantom. "She is gone. I hope you do not mind my saying that I prefer to see you without your armor once in a while."  
  
He hesitated, contemplating this. "Can you lock the door?"  
  
"I did when we entered. It can only be overridden by one of the others in case of emergency, or by DECA if she feels the situation warrants. Please," she asked, her eyes imploring, "unless it would make you uncomfortable--"  
  
"No," he said immediately, letting the armor around him fade. "Anything you want, I also want. And if you want to see me, then you shall."  
  
She smiled into his dazzling green eyes, loving how they twinkled at her. "Thank you, Tar'yn, for understanding." She loved using his real name in private, it seemed to suit him so much better than Phantom when they were alone...  
  
"Anything for you," he said softly, reaching out and touching her face gently. "But I believe we had better start scanning and monitoring the Dryserans, before DECA gets suspicious and comes back."  
  
Cassie nodded reluctantly, not wanting Tar'yn to remove his hand but knowing that DECA would do just that. They could not risk *anybody* but her seeing Phantom unmorphed. She still did not know exactly why it was so dangerous, but she was unwilling to take the chance. She was playing enough with her own life by knowing his face and name, but he had found he could not deny her that any longer. Not if it tormented the one he loved so much.  
  
Cassie idly tapped the controls, setting the scanners to survey the base camp being set up by the Dryserans. "There is not much activity but building shelters there right now," she observed. "They are putting out enough interference so I cannot get much detail. That is the worrisome part, they could be building massive weapons systems and we would not know it."  
  
"Let me try something," he said, leaning over her to make some adjustments. "Does this help?"  
  
She glanced at the readings, then at Tar'yn, startled. "How did you do that?"  
  
"I have been a power ranger for a long time, Cassie," he said, still leaning over her and making no move to pull away. "I know a lot of things about enemies, and many are typical."  
  
She blushed, becoming acutely aware of the heat of his body so close to hers. "The readings are improved," she admitted, trying to focus on the task at hand and finding it hard to do so. "It seems that they are building up an offensive."  
  
He nodded absently, not noticing when his fingers absently started to lightly stroke her hair. She turned around, surprised, her dark eyes locking with his dazzling green ones. Neither were really aware of what was happening until their mouths met.  
  
Cassie felt a bolt of electricity shoot through her spine, which intensified when his hand moved from her hair to cup her chin, urging her closer. She almost forgot entirely about the scans as her hands left the controls to wrap boldly around his neck. She could somehow sense his moan of attempted restraint, and when he crushed her to him, she knew he had failed.  
  
Their lips were scorching together with such an intense fire that it was an insistent beeping from the console that drew them apart, breathless. Cassie felt herself flushing, and not only from his touch. They were supposed to be monitoring.  
  
She turned her gaze back to the screen. "Activity from the planet just picked up pace considerably. We need to keep a closer eye on it, and in the meantime, *you*--" she turned to him, pretending to be stern. "You need to stop that--until tonight."  
  
He blushed, for the sudden question in his mind he had not hoped to ask so soon.. "Cassie, how far do you want to go in our relationship?"  
  
She looked thoughtful, considering the question. She had expected this to come up sooner or later. "I love you, Tar'yn. I...." she straightened, as if making a decision. "What you want, I want."  
  
"Cassie..." his eyes were pleading, wanting the truth. "Please make sure you are telling me the truth. I believe I am correct in assuming you are an innocent, because you are so young."  
  
Color rose on her cheeks. "Um...well, yes," she murmured at last. "I have never slept with anyone, Tar'yn. It is not something I discuss a lot with people."  
  
"Then how can you be so sure you know what you want?" he asked, touching her chin again. "You respond to my touch, but are you sure you would not regret it later? Think I took advantage of you? Please, Cassie," he pleaded, "I do not want to make any mistakes. Heaven knows I have made enough of them in my lifetime."  
  
"Tar'yn?" she asked tentatively. "Have you..uh...ever...you know..."  
  
"Have I ever slept with anyone?" he surmised. Cassie ducked her head and nodded.  
  
"Yeah...I mean, you are at least a couple of thousand years older, right...?"  
  
"Yes to both, Cassie," he said honestly. "But...it has been a very long time."  
  
"I won't regret it," she said suddenly, startling him. "I think we will both know if we are ready or not, Tar'yn. I don't know why, but I seem to know this already..."  
  
He smiled slightly, but did not find that he could tell her that his people often established such a bond with those they fell in love with. He had done so, in a way, but she would have to accept it before it could really work. If she denied it, all she would get would be the occasional premonition.  
  
"Tonight, then?" she asked, holding her hand up. It was so sudden again it caught him by surprise, and the thought was a little overwhelming, even after all this time. Still...  
  
"Tonight, if you are sure," he whispered, holding both of his hands up and clasping both of them about her upraised hand. Looking into her eyes, he realized how much he wanted this, as well....  
  
****  
  
"Astronema wants to know when you will be done," snapped Darkonda to Dark Dresden as the other was busy still surveying Earth.  
  
"Soon, maybe tomorrow. Tell your precious Astronema to keep her britches on, willya?"  
  
"I cannot tell her that. She would come over here and skin you alive so fast you would not enjoy the torture. Just *hurry*, for your safety and mine."  
  
"Whatever. Say, whatever happened to that little girl in yellow you had captured? Do you still have her?"  
  
"Occasionally..." Darkonda smiled an evil grin. "Once in awhile I can still get her under my control."  
  
"Getting tired of her yet? I would still be interested in a trade, if you want."  
  
"Nah. She is the sister of the red Lightstar Ranger, Andros. Who knows when she will prove useful that way. Besides, the one person I was willing to trade for her you refused to give up, and she is now no longer in your possession."  
  
"Did you have to mention her?" groaned Dark Dresden, pressing his fingers to his temples. "I will get that girl yet for betraying me, and she knows too many of my secrets. Oh yes, I will get her all right. I will make her pay...."  
  
Something about his expression made Darkonda draw back in disgust. "Get that out of your head, Dark Dresden. I still don't understand why you do the things you do. Even the most heniously evil do not resort to that. *I* don't do that. If you were not so powerful, somebody with a mind for revenge would have...taken your reason for wearing britches *long ago*!"  
  
"They haven't, now have they!" sneered Dark Dresden, his cerulean blue eyes spitting fire and ice all at once. "Get out of here, Darkonda! Don't bug me again until I am ready! And if Astronema does not like it, tell her she can kiss off--or kiss me, for all I care!"  
  
"Do you still want to keep your lips after that, I wonder?" snarled Darkonda. "She will do that, all too easily, just rip them from your head and--"  
  
"Point taken! Now *leave*!"  
  
****  
  
"The time has come!" Cried Dark Dresden, surveying his completed fleet. "Earth will fall at last, and all because of ME!"  
  
If Ecliptor could have wrinkled his nose, he would have. "Remember, Dark Dresden," he sneered, flashing his sword casually from one hand to the other to make his point plain, "Astronema's orders are not to be disobeyed in *any* circumstance. Is that understood?"  
  
"Yeah, yeah, get off my case already!" snapped Dark Dresden, while secretly crossing his fingers behind his back. "Tell your precious Astronema the job should be done in a couple of hours, and the Power Rangers will be destroyed for her--once and for all!"  
  
****  
  
Sharie was in her Sphinx Ultrazord, keeping an eye on the scanners, while Trey was keeping watch in his Pyramidas. She was concentrating so hard on them that she did not even jump, and pounced upon the scanners when the sirens started to wail. Her purple eyes widened at the results of the scans, and she hit a button to open the comm system.  
  
"Guys!" she yelled into it. "I hope you are keeping an eye on your scanners. A large fleet of ships has left the nearby solar system and is headed for earth!"  
  
"We got it, Sharie!" Andros's voice came over the system. "I suggest we meet them out in space and try to prevent their coming to Earth at all. What do you say?"  
  
"Agreed!" she said at once. "Did you get that, Trey?"  
  
"Got it, Lalinka," came the voice. "Let's get them and defeat them-- soundly, this time. Earth should not have to go through what Triforia went through."  
  
"Right," she murmured, seeing unwanted images before her eyes again and quickly shoving them away. "It's Morphin' Time!"  
  
Over the comm system, it could also be heard, "Let's Rocket!"  
  
****  
  
The Sphinx Ultrazord, the Pyramidas, and the Megaship met the Dryseran fleet around the orbit of Pluto. The Dryserans soon made it clear they meant business, for within minutes all three ships found themselves rocking with volley after volley of enemy fire.  
  
However, they also scored some points. After several of Dark Dresden's ships had exploded in brilliant, fire-red flashes, Dark Dresden threw a fit.  
  
"That's it!" he bellowed as the Sphinx Ultrazord blindsided him. "I will get that little kid who has caused me so much misery. Dyson!" he snarled.  
  
"Yes, Sir!"  
  
"Tell the four ships nearest to the Sphinx Ultrazord to concentrate all their fire fully on her! Disable the ship and board her, and capture the girl! But don't kill her--I want her brought to me alive!"  
  
It took all of Dyson's willpower to not close his eyes and sigh. "Right away, Sir."  
  
****  
  
Meanwhile, Trey had put his new skills on his Universal Surfer to good use, and he, along with Cassie and Ashley on their Galaxy Gliders, had been sweeping in to get in some close shots.  
  
They were distracted, however, by the not-so-comforting sight of a crowd of Dryseran vessels break off their attacks and turn solely on Sharie's ship. It was apparent within seconds that it would be difficult for Sharie to handle such a crowd--especially when two more ships joined the fray.  
  
"She is in trouble!" gasped Cassie, pivoting to a stop. "Ashley, we have got to help her!"  
  
"Right!" said Ashley. "Let's sneak on board her ship and try to help her. Trey, you should be able to sneak in closer behind enemy lines, your Universal Surfer has a cloaking device."  
  
He hesitated, not liking what they were suggesting. It was plausible, but dangerous, and he could not see much else that could be done, considering the circumstances. And if the girls were captured....  
  
"Be careful," he urged them. "I cannot tell you how much. Above all, do not give in to Dark Dresden's demands, should you be captured."  
  
"All we can do is try, Trey," Ashley called over her shoulder. They left Trey behind shaking his head as they headed for Sharie's ship.  
  
****  
  
Once they materialized, they found themselves in semi-darkness. There was obvious damage all around them, and the cloaking device was off for a reason they could not fathom.  
  
Ashley reached over and tried to activate a nearby computer terminal, nothing glowed or made a sound to indicate it worked.  
  
"It is completely useless," Ashley murmured, glad Cassie could not see her worried expression.  
  
"Activate your Astroscanners," advised her friend quietly. "See if you can pick up Sharie's lifesigns.'  
  
"Right. Astroscanners, Online!"  
  
"See anything?"  
  
"No...wait. I am picking up Triforian lifesigns one deck up, in the control room. But they are fluctuating. I also am getting other readings. I don't think Sharie is alone."  
  
It was enough for both girls. "Let's go!"  
  
The two girls raced off toward the control room. Even before they got there, they could hear the sounds of fighting and blaster shots. They ducked just outside the doorway to see the Violet Ranger in the middle of a fight with several armor-clad Dryserans bent on capturing her.  
  
"Surrender, Violet Ranger!" cried the leader of the Dryseran group.  
  
"No!" she said. "Leave my ship!"  
  
"If you won't come with me, peacefully, my girl, I will have to take you by force. Dark Dresden would like to see you!"  
  
"You would have to kill me, first!" Sharie said, her voice deadly.  
  
"Sorry, my dear. He has a little agenda with you, and he wants you alive." The Dryseran advanced on her, blaster drawn and ready. Sharie took up a similar stance.  
  
"Leave her alone, you creep!" The hiding girls knew that Sharie stood no chance with a group of Dryserans with such deadly weapons. It was a miracle that she had lasted this long.  
  
Sharie was horrified. She did not know what had possessed the girls to try such as stunt, but they were now in a dangerous position. She did not even want to *think* about what could happen to them if they were captured...  
  
"Guys, if you are wise, leave now!" she hissed. "If Dark Dresden gets you, he will..."  
  
She was interrupted by gunfire as chaos exploded, and a dampening field generated stole the morphing abilities of all three girls. The Dryserans pounced on them, and within seconds, all three were immobile.  
  
****  
  
"Mission accomplished, Dark Dresden! And with a bonus!" crowed the group leader as he reported back to the cruel Dryseran leader.  
  
"Yeah? What kind of a bonus?" drawled the blue-eyed monarch lazily. His eyes gleamed at the thought that he could finally extract his revenge on the person who had caused him so much misery...  
  
"We have captured the two other female rangers of Earth's team as well," said the armor-clad Dryseran, bowing with a flourish. "They are being held immobile."  
  
"Excellent! Hold them in the holding cells until I want to see them!"  
  
"Yes, Sir!" said the team leader, vanishing. Dyson cringed at the icy-cold laugh Dark Dresden emitted, and it was nearly as cold as his icy blue eyes...  
  
****  
  
"*No*!" cried Andros. "I've lost their signals entirely! A dampening field just went up. I think they've been captured! Heaven knows what Dark Dresden will do to them now..." He closed his eyes, desperate to shut out the disturbing images that threatened to come up.  
  
While Andros was repeating his message to Trey, who was behind enemy lines, Carlos was being driven insane by Phantom's incessant pacing. After he had destroyed all the ships in his vicinity, he had insisted on joining them.  
  
"I should have kept a closer eye on her..." he muttered to no one in particular.  
  
"Hey!" Carlos barked, not wanting him to start this. *He* was feeling bad enough about Sharie, and he did not care for the reminder. "I feel the same way, but pacing and blaming yourself won't work now!"  
  
"Oh, and I suppose you have an idea?" It was not until then that Phantom realized that he was so worried. He was *never* so testy....  
  
"Cool it, both of you!" Andros snapped. "This will not get us anywhere. Think of something, you two, and think of it fast, but arguing and placing blame on yourselves will not help."  
  
He got the distinct feeling that both individuals were now glaring at him, but neither said a word. Phantom began pacing again while Carlos, not wanting to think about what Sharie had to be going through, toyed with the controls on the control panel.  
  
Out of the blue, Phantom said suddenly, "What was that computer program you told me about when you defeated the monsters that knocked Cassie and I into another dimension? Do you think it would work here?"  
  
Carlos turned from the computer and looked at him with wide eyes. Quickly, he turned toward the computer and started poking at it, bringing up the schematics. Suddenly, he got excited.  
  
"I think so," he said, his fingers now flying over the controls. "With just a few minor modifications--Phantom, you are a genius!"  
  
Andros could not help smiling a little at the irony, but he was too worried about Ashley to think about it. "But how do we deliver it? Trey is in the best position to activate it behind enemy lines and detonate it, and it was designed to be activated by Zeo powers, but how do we get it to him? We could not possibly teleport that far through such interference."  
  
"I will take it to him," said Phantom as Carlos and TJ worked busily on the modifications. "My craft's cloaking device should have healed itself by now. I will do my best to slip through."  
  
"We cannot warn Trey, though," said TJ over his shoulder. "We could alert any listening Drysera to our plans. You will catch him by surprise, so be careful."  
  
Phantom nodded, and, taking the computer bomb with him, teleported back over to his ship, only a short distance away. He would have to get close to Trey to be able to teleport him the device to modify into his powers.  
  
****  
  
Trey was angry. No, he was beyond angry, he was seething. The thought of having his sister caught in the grips of such a monster, again, caught him into a blind fury, and he was firing on the enemy for all he was worth. Forget self-control. Somehow, right now it no longer seemed worth it.  
  
He started, though, when a craft came out of nowhere and came to an abrupt halt just beside him. He almost fired, but just in time realized that the vessel was the Phantom Ranger's.  
  
The other's vessel was close enough so that they could use short-range communications and not be overheard. Phantom's quiet voice explained the plan, and Trey readily agreed to do his best.  
  
"Be careful," said Phantom. "I saw how recklessly you were acting. You are the only one around to activate this device, but be careful about it. I had to be reminded of that earlier."  
  
"And how well do you know Dark Dresden, Phantom?" asked Trey, his voice sour and strangely choked. "How well do you know the nightmares this man can inflict?"  
  
Phantom was quiet, remembering what he had been told about Dark Dresden. He felt another chill run up his spine as he once again faced the fact that Cassie was in the hands of this monster.  
  
"I can understand now," said Phantom quietly. "We need to work together on this one, Trey. We have a chance this time of defeating him quickly, and saving the girls before they get hurt." He was silent for a moment, then added, "I was ready to do the same sort of reckless behavior you were doing, until the others shut me up and made me realize that this sort of action would not work. Cassie is very important to me, and I've discovered that without her, life for me no longer has real meaning."  
  
Trey was more quiet now. "Carlos feels the same way about Sharie, and Andros about Ashley. I will set the bomb behind enemy lines, then the girls must be found as quickly as possible. You are right, we have a better chance now than I had eleven years ago. And this time, I don't want to screw it up." His hands were busy making the modifications in his power staff.  
  
"I will be here," said Phantom. "You will be in a dangerous position, and could be hurt."  
  
"Not that I care much," Trey almost said, but changed his mind. He shook his head, trying to clear the turmoil from his mind, and set about to cut the enemy down to size.  
  
****  
  
The resulting explosions and detonations fully destroyed or disabled over two-thirds of Dark Dresden's fleet, filling the air with brilliant balls of fiery light as the ships exploded and for a moment, looked like miniature suns.  
  
Dark Dresden held onto the back of his chair as the ship beneath his feet rocked dangerously, and several computer panels blinked. He closed his blue eyes, expecting the end, and was mildly surprised to open them a moment later and discover he was still in one piece.  
  
"Dyson!" he barked, "What in the *hell* happened! How much of my fleet was destroyed?!"  
  
His right-hand man was panting as he came hurrying up. "It seems at least two-thirds of your fleet was destroyed. Computer virus. The systems on some of the ships were able to overcome it, including ours."  
  
"Damn!" Dark Dresden swore, angrily pacing. "Can't you guys do *anything* right? Now we have to retreat and regroup, and Astronema will have my hide!"  
  
Dyson shook his head to himself as he set to work, ordering the retreat and regrouping. Gods, how he hated this job! It was not fair to the inhabitants of the worlds Dark Dresden conquered for the Evil Drysera, and he was glad he was not like the rest!  
  
"This next time, we will not fail!" Growled Dark Dresden. "Bring me the prisoners!"  
  
Dyson felt sick as he was forced, by the sheer will of his master's icy gaze, to hurry down to the hold and bring back the three struggling girls and guards holding weapons on them.  
  
"Well, well, well, let's see what we have here!" said Dark Dresden, glad to pounce on the "distraction".  
  
He turned on Cassie first, looking her over, surveying her well-formed, slender figure like a horse brought to market. The way he stared at her made her eyes narrow with rage, which made him laugh. When he reached out to touch her skin, she jerked her head away and tried to kick him.  
  
He was too quick, and backed off out of her reach. "Oh, a feisty one, are you? I just might have fun with you, Pink Ranger. Do you know that your cunning friends destroyed most of my fleet?" He reached out and touched Cassie's long black hair lightly. "I just might have to make you pay for their...transgressions."  
  
Idly his fingers trailed down her hair, slipping through the long, dark silken strands to caress the back of her neck, stroking downwards, coming around....his fingers, feeling colder all the time to her horror-stiff body, came around to the front of her neck, touching her collarbone, and she saw the savage intent in his blue eyes of trailing them lower.....  
  
"So what if they did, you will have to kill me first before you get me!" Cassie spat in anger. "I will not let myself be had by the likes of *you*!"  
  
"Oh, you *are* feisty!" Dark Dresden's icy laugh made Cassie go still and a flicker of fear show behind her eyes. "We will see, my exotic beauty. We will see..."  
  
Almost reluctantly, he removed his hand from Cassie's body, ignoring how she sagged with relief. He'd have her later. He always liked exotic ones.....  
  
He turned on Ashley next, and Ashley felt her stomach turn somersaults as she fought not to lose it.  
  
"You are pale, my dear. Don't worry, some women claim that they enjoy what I can give out. Won't do you any good to refuse, my dear. I would hate to see that pretty hide of yours beaten black and blue."  
  
"You will leave me, and Cassie, and Sharie, you will leave us *all* alone!" hissed Ashley, her brown eyes opening and going darker with anger. "You will also have to kill me before I fall victim to your perverted lusts!"  
  
"Don't be too sure of that!" he responded, not in the least swayed. "Few have ever managed to do what you propose, and it is a shame when they do manage to kill themselves. Only *I* order the executions around here, understand? You will not disobey me, or I will see to it you are punished within an inch of your life. Try to escape, you will die. But not before-- "  
  
He reached out again, his fingers idly touching her lips and airily moving down her chin when she would have moved to bite him. "Save your biting and bucking for when I have you pinioned beneath me," he growled, savagely in her ear--but she also felt a twinge of disgust to sense the seductive note in his voice as well. "I like 'em savage, when they kick around and try to escape--but they never do. Speaking of escape,"  
  
His blue eyes turned even colder when he finally allowed his gaze to rest on Sharie. He was silent so long, his blue eyes boring into her purple ones, that the air grew choking with the tension. The guards grew fidgety, especially when Dark Dresden's eyes started to glow with an eerie light.  
  
"Are you okay, Sir?" one of them asked hesitantly.  
  
"Yes..." Dark Dresden murmured distractedly. "I was just contemplating...well, Sharie, it looks like we meet again. I have looked for you for a long time, my girl. And now, after searching for so long, you drop right into my hands. It looks like my chance for revenge will come soon after all."  
  
He though nothing of reaching out and touching Sharie's lightly tanned skin. "When you were a little girl, I knew that you would grow up beautiful one day. Guess I was right."  
  
Sharie finally managed to tear her eyes from his hateful glance, turning her head so he would quit touching her. He ignored her attempt, his hands following, stroking her jaws and down her neck, edging almost eagerly towards her breasts.  
  
Even after all this time, she had not forgotten his disgusting touch, whether he had been beating her senseless for some minor infraction or stroking her hair while telling her of his evil schemes, never dreaming that she would one day escape, and make a fool out of him...  
  
"Of course, that is not the only reason why I wanted you," Dark Dresden continued, almost absently. His hands just shyed over her quivering chest and downwards, until his hand gripped her waist and his thumb began to, almost absentmindedly, to stroke her navel. "You are, I believe, what the Triforians call one of 'The Ones'. I think it means you have incredible brainpower, even for a Triforian, mental abilities which I could use. You were a little child with strong mental powers I could warp to my ways, if I so desired. Plus, you were a Triforian Princess, and kidnapping you was a good way to get the Lord of Triforia's attention. And now, looking at you, I have a bigger bonus. It seems you have considerable power under your thumb, power I would like to have."  
  
"The Zeo Powers will not obey the command of someone evil," said Sharie, looking through him this time and speaking in a wooden tone. "And I will not help you willingly, so that option is closed."  
  
She fought the urge to throw up as his fingers did not cease their movements. "Of course you will, my child, or I will think nothing of forcing your friends here right before your eyes, before I have you as well- -after which, of course, you die."  
  
This caught Sharie's attention. "No!" she hissed, seeing that her options were becoming limited. "I will do what you ask, but you must not rape or mess with Cassie and Ashley."  
  
"Now you are starting to speak some sense," chuckled Dark Dresden, his handsome face lighting up with an evil grin. Suddenly, he moved, removing his hand from her waist and pressing her frightened form up against a wall, pinning her there.  
  
"I will tell you what, my dear," he said, holding her so firmly she could not struggle. She felt his ironlike body pressing tighly on her own and, to her horror, also felt a particular area of him that was showing signs of arousal. "I want your power and your mental abilities serving me. Not to mention that you are beautiful, if you agree to serve me, and become my consort willingly, I will spare the lives of your friends here, after, of course, I have had my fun with them. I might even be willing to forget that you are prone to knowledge about my people that could get you executed. I could forget that you made a fool of me those years ago. I will treat you well, like a queen."  
  
Sharie continued to struggle, her eyes closed as she grasped desperately for some solution amidst the awful memories that threatened to strangle her senses, along with this horror.  
  
"No!" she cried. "I will not do a thing you say unless you promise to leave Cassie and Ashley entirely out of it, let them go, and leave Earth's system. Never try to attack it again!"  
  
"You demand much, my dear." Dark Dresden said, watching her struggle while her eyes remained empty. He could not help it; her terror and his feelings of revenge were adding each moment to his pleasure. He attempted to lean in to kiss her, finding that she kept turning her head each time he got close to her lips--it was several seconds of this before he clamped his hand to her throat, pinning her immoble, and finally caught her mouth beneath his.  
  
A low moan of horror was barely heard emitting from her, and he felt her suddenly sag--she was going into a faint!  
  
He released her with a crude laugh. "Sickens you, does it? By the time I'm done with you, you'll be begging for more, just wait and see! All that fire in you needs is ignition! I saw it way back then and I certainly see it now, no matter how much you fiegn otherwise!"  
  
"If you want me and my 'services' as badly as you claim, then you will do it!" she sputtered, gasping for air and sure she'd never before felt so fouled in her life. "You can have me, but you must leave my friends and Earth out of it!"  
  
"No, Sharie, don't do it!" she vaguely heard Ashley pleading behind her, and sensed Cassie also was not happy about this. Still, if it would mean their lives and their bodies left intact...  
  
"I'll tell you what, my dear," crooned Dark Dresden, stroking her hair again. "How about I give you time to think about my offer, and I will think about yours. You have enough assets behind you, with powers, brainpower and all, I might even forgive you one day for what you have done to me. Besides, Triforians live for a long time and stay young. I will be back in a few hours, and I want your answer. Freedom for your friends if you agree to serve me (in every respect, you understand) or I take your friends here anyway, before your eyes, and then kill them, understand?" He laughed maliciously as he released her. "Take them back into their holding cell!"  
  
****  
  
Awful pain throbbed in Trey's head as he forced his eyes open. Bright light assaulted him, and he found himself lying in a sort of windowseat aboard a strange vessel.  
  
When the chair at the front of the Starfighter, he guessed it was, turned and he saw the Phantom Ranger there, he suddenly remembered what had happened. After detonating the device, he had been hit with shrapnel and other flying debris....  
  
Phantom, seeing him awake, got up and came over at once. "Are you all right?" he asked softly, as if he sensed Trey's pounding head and did not want to further his misery.  
  
"Did it work?" Trey rasped, a hand coming up to clutch his pounding head. "The girls..."  
  
"The computer device worked," said Phantom quietly. "Over two/thirds of the fleet have been destroyed. We have not as yet located Cassie or the others, but it is almost a sure bet they are on Dark Dresden's ship, which made it intact."  
  
Trey's eyes clouded over, and he slumped back down, closing his eyes with a sigh.  
  
"It was...difficult, the last time you faced them, was it not?" Phantom could not help asking. "And that is why it is so hard for you now?"  
  
"It was beyond a nightmare," Trey sounded choked, as if forcing the words out of his mouth. "Some were killed. Dark Dresden stole my sister and abused her while forcing her to serve him. She was not the only one taken, but she was the only one who returned without actually being raped, but there may have been other things Dark Dresden did to her, I do not know...and then, she was gone again..."  
  
He had no idea why he was saying this, it was more than he thought Phantom had asked for.  
  
"Then...Cassie really is in grave danger..." Phantom sounded like the reality of the situation had finally hit him. "And the other girls..."  
  
Trey nodded, tight-lipped. "The only reason Sharie was spared, when all the others were not, was because she was a child. But Dark Dresden had intended to, when she got older..."  
  
"We are still cloaked and behind enemy lines," said Phantom. "I am working hard to locate the girls, and with luck, they might not yet have been harmed. We can only wait and see."  
  
Trey nodded, laying his aching body back down upon the hard cushion. He closed his eyes and prayed, with all his being, that fate would once again intervene in time to save them all...  
  
****  
  
"Are you *crazy*?!" Ashley hissed as soon as they were alone again. "What makes you think he would actually go for something like that! Sharie, you've been had!!"  
  
Sharie slumped against the wall and sank to the floor. Her eyes were closed, but when they opened, they were full of tears. "No, I have not, thank heavens. He meant what he said, which is good news for you two. He wants revenge on me for what I did to him, for what I denied him, for making a fool of him, for escaping while knowing what I know. He is so eager to take his revenge on me any way possible, he will quite likely ignore you two. You might be able to escape if he does not directly let you go. You must take the first opportunity and *leave* this place!"  
  
"We won't leave you!" Cassie almost wailed. "It is not fair!"  
  
"I have been through worse," Sharie tried to encourage them. "You must not worry about me."  
  
"What do you mean, worse?" Ashley almost snapped. "Have you ever been raped before, taken against your will? Has a man even *touched* you, at least like that disgusting display he did, before Carlos?"  
  
"I promise I will *not*, if I can help it, actually let that man succeed in raping me. There have been close calls, but no, I've never been raped. And I don't sleep with every guy I meet, either! So no, I haven't been completely down that road, and I would hate to think that monster would ruin your important first times with those you love, or mine!"  
  
Sharie heaved a ragged sigh. "Carlos and I are taking our time, and I happen to know that both of you are nearing that point in your relationships. I only have to look at you to know, and you should face that point without fear. This is for the best, unless we can escape now, and I see no way with this dampening field up. Right now, your safety is uppermost in my mind, and whatever happens, there is no way you are going to convince me otherwise!"  
  
"It is still not fair," said Ashley. "You and Carlos should also be able to face that without fear. Why should you..."  
  
"Let's not think about it," said Sharie suddenly. "Maybe something will happen."  
  
And it did, in a most unusual and unexpected way....  
  
****  
  
Astronema could not stop her pacing as Darkonda came in with news.  
  
"Well?" she snapped at him, as soon as he had entered. "Don't just stand there. What did he do that merits my attention?"  
  
Darkonda bowed slightly. "I had placed the bugs in his room and on the bridge, just like you ordered. Well, he has captured the female rangers, and he indee threatened them all with rape like you ordered him not to. What is more, he and the girl Sharie have some sort of past, and he is trying to force her to become his...consort in exchange for letting the other two girls alone."  
  
"Damn him!" Astronema swore. "I knew he could not be trusted. I should never have let Dark Spectre hire that sick pervert in the first place, knowing he would go behind my back in any way."  
  
"It would eventually destroy the girls anyway," Darkonda pointed out.  
  
"I would not wish rape on anybody, Darkonda! Even I could not stoop that low, and Dark Specre would have my hide for permitting it! Even that is not a method of torture he condones. Other torture, maybe, *not* rape. And I prefer to let them die with a little bit of dignity, if only that!" Snarled Astronema. "You will find some way to get in there and break those girls out. Bring them to me, and I will destroy them myself. It will be a swifter death for them, but they can go out with their self-pride intact! Is that understood?"  
  
"Yes, Astronema," said Darkonda, bowing again. "I know where I can put them, for now. Yessirreebob, I am on my way," he cackled as he went out the door.  
  
Astronema sighed and laid down on her bed, wondering why her head was swimming. She was mildly surprised to feel sleep overtake her so quickly, but she did not have time to think about it before the darkness claimed her.  
  
****  
  
Sharie, Cassie, and Ashley raised their heads at the commotion in the hall. There was some angry stomping and muttering, and the rattling of keys.  
  
"Yeah, whaddya want!" snapped a guard, having been awoke from his afternoon soring session.  
  
"I want to talk to the prisoners!" growled a voice that was unmistakably like Darkonda's. "Astronema wants some answers from them! Now let me in that room or I will blow your head off and do it anyway!"  
  
"All right, all right, don't get into an uproar. Sheesh!" The girls heard the annoyed guard snap and the *click* of a key in the lock and they stood as the door opened and the guard entered, followed by Darkonda.  
  
As soon as Darkonda had entered, he turned to the guard. "Thanks, wimp!" he snarled, firing a weapon that knocked the guard down, to the astonishment of the prisoners.  
  
Darkonda's evil laugh penetrated the room. Next, without a hitch, he turned and trained the weapon on them. "Okay, ladies. You are coming with me. Astronema wants you in a safer place until she can deal with you all later, personally."  
  
"Why would she rescue us?" asked Cassie in surprise. She was not one to think that Astronema had any morals whatsoever.  
  
"Simple. She knows Dark Dresden and his sick mind. She still plans to kill you, but at least you can die without being victimized by the likes of Dark Dresden. Now move! We have got to get past the dampening field before I can teleport us!"  
  
Obediently, the girls slipped out the door, followed by Darkonda, his weapon still trained on them. Somehow, they had less fear now than when Dark Dresden had threatened them. It was a surprise to them Astronema had any virtures at all, to recognize how unpleasant the prospect of rape was. The alternative was not as plesant as escape, but maybe they had a better chance now, without this indignity being forced upon them. So, upon silent feet, they stole down the corridor.  
  
They had gotten quite a distance before they heard pounding feet behind them.  
  
"There they are!" cried the guard Darkonda had shot. He was up again and had brought friends with him. "Get them!" He bellowed, drawing his weapon and waving it menacingly in the air. "Destroy the spiney guy and recapture the prisoners before Dark Dresden makes us *worse* than prisoners!"  
  
They attacked, and suddenly, in the chaos, everyone found themselves fighting. Cassie ducked a guard and kicked him in the midsection, sending him sprawling. Ashley flipped one over her hip, but was grabbed behind by another. To her surprise, Darkonda shot him off her.  
  
"Don't bother thanking me," he growled, turning his back to her. Ashley did not say a word,only shrugging and upswiping another guard under the chin, knocking him senseless.  
  
In the general mayhem that followed, Sharie, while fighting off a guard, noticed that Cassie was right on edge of the group, Darkonda was on the other side, and she had few guards on her back. An idea occured to Sharie, and she felt the situation would warrant a mental intrusion. Without even bothering to concentrate, she focused her mind slightly and sent a message telepathically to her friend.  
  
*Cassie, I know you can hear me. You are right on the edge of the fighting group, so break away and run for it! The dampening field only ends a short distance from here, I am sure of it. Dampening fields take a lot of energy to work. As soon as your morpher reactivates, teleport out of here and tell the others what happened. Ashley and I won't make it in this, Darkonda will still have us."  
  
She noticed Cassie's eyes widen, and knew she had heard. She sent a silent acknowlegment to Sharie, praying that her untrained mind allowed Sharie to hear it, before kicking a guard in the stomach, turning on her heels, and fleeing down the corridor as fast as her legs could carry her. The guard recovered rapildy and followed in hot persuit.  
  
Just as Cassie thought her lungs might burst, she heard her morpher buzz to life. Without a second thought, she snapped it open and told it to teleport her to the nearest ship with a Power signature, sure it would be the Megaship. Just as the guard was about to reach her, there was a flash of pink light--  
  
...And when she materialized and stopped rolling, she realized she was on the floor of Phantom's starfighter, right at the feet of an astonished Trey.  
  
"Cassie!" he yelped, startled. Dark eyes wide in surprise, he pulled her to her feet. "Are you okay? Where are the others?"  
  
The ship rocked again, and Cassie and Trey both reached out to the wall for balance. Phantom set the computer on autopilot and crossed the room in two strides, pulling Cassie away from Trey and hugging her, just firmly enough so she would not be hurt by his armor. Somehow, she could sense his desperation at nearly losing her.  
  
"Are you okay?" he asked, repeating Trey's thoughts. "Gods, Cassie, we have been so worried..."  
  
"I am okay," she rasped, drawing deep breaths, still recovering from her flight. "I managed to escape. Darkonda has Sharie and Ashley right now, I think they are safe for the moment, if Darkonda got them away from Dark Dresden--"  
  
"Darkonda *what*?" repeated Trey, trying to make sense of all this. "Why would he help you escape? Were any of you--"  
  
Cassie shook her head in evident relief. "No. Dark Dresden threatened to rape and kill us all unless Sharie agreed to become his escort, but Darkonda came and got us before he could act upon his threat or get Sharie's answer. Sharie made me escape since I was in the position to do so. I did not want to leave them alone with even Darkonda, but it was the only chance I had to warn *anybody*."  
  
Trey's eyes burned again. "Sharie was going to do that? Become his consort?" Suddenly, he could once again barely control his rage. Even after all this time--  
  
"If it meant freeing Earth, Ashley, and myself, she was," admitted Cassie, hating to see the pain flash behind Trey's eyes, but rather startled to see the intense rage that also blazed there. It simply did not seem like calm, centered Trey to be that way. "Trust me, Ashley and I did everything we could to talk her out of it. She only said that Dark Dresden would be so intent on having his revenge on her that he would fail to notice us. He would either let us go or escape, one."  
  
Trey slumped against the wall, feeling nothing but pain, anger, and fatigue as the ghosts of the past reared their ugly heads once again. *Lalinka, how is it you can find yourself in these messes. And yet, how so like you it is to take all responsibility on yourself alone...*  
  
Cassie saw him trembling slightly. "Do you know where they are now, where they could possibly be at?" he asked. He had noticed her staring, and was trying to cover up his distress.  
  
She shook her head, troubled. "No. Somehow I doubt they are on the Dark Fortress. It would be to easy to scan for Power Signatures. I would not wonder that Darkonda would have them hidden away somewhere else. He is a bounty hunter, he would have a lot of good hiding spots."  
  
"We have much of the fleet destroyed," said Phantom, hugging her closer. "As soon as they are gone, we will do an exensive search to find your friends."  
  
"I hope so," she murmured, then started to shiver suddenly as her pent-up fear suddenly came to the surface. "Gods, I hated it when he looked me over like I was some prize he had won! He touched my hair and face also--- I wanted to be sick, to die, but I could not!"  
  
Her teeth chattered as she fought to control herself. "I am sorry," she apologized, seeing the slightly sick look that crossed Trey's face. "It is just that I could not forget--"  
  
"Do not apologize," he murmured, taking her hand. "It is just that I understand what you are going through. You have every right and reason to vent after being in the presence of someone like Dark Dresden."  
  
She nodded, lips trembling, her eyes full of tears. "And what will I tell Carlos? He must be as worried."  
  
Phantom shook his head as his small ship swung around and headed back to the Megaship. "The truth, Cassie. It would do no good to soften the blow with someone like Carlos. At least, if luck was with them, they got away before anything more happened."  
  
"Thank heavens for small mercies," she responded, tight-lipped.  
  
****  
  
At last, when the fighting had stopped and Darkonda had KO'ed the last guard, he turned his weapon back to Sharie and Ashley. "All right, where is Cassie?" he growled, immediately noticing her missing.  
  
Sharie had told Ashley what had happened, and now Ashley said not a word about it. "Obviously, she took the opprotunity to escape," she said cooly, instead.  
  
"Wonderful! Just great! Well, I don't have time to look for her. Astronema will have to content herself with you two. I am going to take you to a special place of mine--normally, I would not send you there, but since neither of you will live long enough to tell about it, it makes absoultely no difference."  
  
By then, their walk had taken them to the edge of the dampening field. Before either girl could activate their own morphers, Darkonda teleported them away in a flash of yellow light.  
  
They rematerilaized in what appeared to be a vast set of undergound chambers. The walls were of grey stone, but decorated with all sorts of odd things from distant galaxies, and there was furniture and the like. To their surprise, it had an odd beauty, a strange charm of it's own, in a way that did not seem to fit the evil bounty hunter before them.  
  
"Make yourselves at home," snarled Darkonda. "You cannot escape, I have another dampening field here to block both your powers and your teleporter. I will be merciful enough to allow my resident...servant show you where you can get necessities. Enjoy it--it will probably be your last meal. I will be back for you when Astronema summons you." He laughed triumphantly, like the bounty hunter he was with fine prizes. Without another word, he vanished.  
  
"Great. Now what do we do?" Ashley complained. "We are the prisoners of a person who likes to kidnap children for the fun of it--like Andros's sister."  
  
"Would you rather still be in the hands of Dark Dresden?" Sharie quipped cooly. Ashley stared at her. Sharie's eyes were completly devoid of all emotion--totally hollow, except for a haunted pain.  
  
"I would rather be free entirely, that's what!" Ashley's frustration over the whole day was beginning to show, as well as the fear and humiliation she had suffered.  
  
"Ash, let's just look around and try to find a way out of here, okay?" Sharie almost pleaded. She, too was tired of the fear, the memories assaulting her, the pain, the anger, and the uncontrollable rage.  
  
Ashley looked at her, seeing how haunted her eyes were. Sharie's purple gaze pleaded with her, "That's enough, please!" Understanding, Ashley quieted.  
  
Sharie must have felt that she had been rather insensetive, however, for she suddenly reached out and pulled Ashley into a fierce hug. "I'm sorry, Ash. You have as much right to feel this as I do, and I should not really have gone cool on you like that, but we have to keep our heads straight."  
  
Ashley hugged her back, gratefully. Sharie was not someone you could easily get upset at. "It is all right," she said, sighing. "But what happened--it will not be easy to forget. But you are also right, we have to get out of here. We have to find and exit."  
  
They pulled apart, swallowing their fear, their anger, and their hurt, and tried to focus on the task at hand, getting out of here alive. Most of the rooms were similarly decorated with odd objects, and the girls even saw some objects from Earth, such as a collection of rare baseball cards and, of all things, a fossilized dinosaur footprint. But, for all their searching, there was no exit in sight.  
  
They had not been searching the endless catacombs long before a cool voice said, "It is no use looking. There is no way out of here."  
  
Surprised, they turned to see a golden-haired girl, about Sharie's age, standing behind them. "I know Darkonda, he won't let you out of here."  
  
This had to be the other person whom Darkonda had mentioned, but she seemed out of place here. There was something about her that said she was used to more than this. The girl stared at them, but when her brown gaze fell on Sharie, it became particularly intense.  
  
"Have we..." she stopped, hesistating. "Have we met before? You look like someone I used to know, years ago..."  
  
Sharie frowned, studying the girl. She could not immediately recall, but the girl *did* look familiar somehow...the shade of brown her eyes had, the golden color to her hair, the shape of her jaw...  
  
Sharie looked into the girl's intense dark eyes, and suddenly it clicked. "Are you...the girl who was with Darkonda...he went to see Dark Dresden...almost twelve years ago...Kerone?" she stumbled uncertainly.  
  
The girls eyes flew open in shock, and Ashley could not believe her ears, espcially what she heard next. "Now....now I remember you! You are that Triforian Pricess Dark Dresden kidnapped, and Darkonda offered to trade me for you! He wanted your mental powers or something like that! Yes, my name is Kerone!"  
  
Ashley's mind was whirling. "Kerone...Andros's sister...?"  
  
"What?" said the girl, turning her head. Her eyes were wide and immediately filled with tears. "How do you know my brother? Is he alive? *Please* tell me!"  
  
Sharie found her tongue again. "Kerone...Yes, Andros is alive, and well. He has been looking for you for many years. He wears a silver locket around his neck, with...that design!"  
  
She pointed to the telltale necklace the girl wore. Kerone's eyes went wide and she reached up and clasped the locket around her neck. "That is right..." she started to cry softly. "I thought he would have given up looking for me years ago!"  
  
"We are his teammates," said Ashley softly. "He has never given up looking for you, Kerone. You must come with us, if we are able to escape."  
  
Kerone's eyes flashed with pain, and she shook her head. "No, I cannot! I cannot leave this compound. Darkonda says he has a device implanted in my arm, that if I managed to teleport out, once I got to my destination it would release toxins that would send me into an agonizing death in seconds. If I were to cut open my arm to remove it, it would explode in my face instantly. It cannot be deactivated, so I have no way out of here."  
  
Ashley was pale. "Teleport? You can teleport? You know how, but cannot leave?"  
  
"I am Darkonda's servant. Of course I know how. I know how to deactivate the generator that keeps the dampening field around this place intact."  
  
Ashley's eyes lighted up. "Then *please* help us to get out of here! We will find some way to get you out of here, too, I promise! Andros will be thrilled to see you again!"  
  
Kerone shook her head, tears streaming down her face as she came to a decision. "I will help you get out of here, if I can, but as I said, there is no way I can leave. I believe Andros would not like it if I came back to him as a corpse. The toxins my device is supposed to release have no antidote, and I will die within seconds."  
  
Ashley's eyes went bright with tears. This was too cruel, to both Kerone and Andros! "Then if we get out of here, we will come back with the Megaship! *Something* can be done, I know it!"  
  
"That is not logical," said Kerone in a monotone voice. "This place is hidden from sensors by magic, and Darkonda moves me often. I will be gone soon after you are in any case. He likes to keep me hidden--the times I actually remember being with him, anyway."  
  
"What could we do, then?" asked Sharie softly, feeling guilty. Andros had done so much for her and Trey to bring them together, it was not fair that she would meet up with Kerone again, only to be unable to bring her along! "And would you not get in trouble for letting us go?"  
  
Kerone's eyes brightened suddenly, she had an idea. "I know. Give him this," she said, pulling a ring from her finger and handing it to Sharie. It was small, but the design on it matched the lockets perfectly. "He will recognize it, and know you are not telling a lie and I am alive. And now that someone knows, maybe the chances are slightly greater that I could be rescued one day. And above all, please, tell him I do not blame him. He was a little kid himself that particular day, what could he have done?"  
  
Sharie nodded, slipping the ring into her jeans pocket. "But how would you get us out of here, without getting yourself in trouble?"  
  
"I can make the time the generator goes down look like a computer glitch. You took advantage of it and teleported out. I never met you, for this place is large. Darkonda knows I have never lied to him before, he will believe me." Her eyes glittered. "There is only one thing I request."  
  
"Anything, if we can give it," said Ashley and Sharie at once.  
  
"While we are working on the generator, tell me about Andros. I do so want to know about him."  
  
"Deal," said the girls at the same time.  
  
****  
  
Cassie sat in a corner chair of the room, saying nothing, not seeing anything. She simply stared off into space, her eyes empty and devoid of emotion. Phantom was right beside her, silent also, but his body posture conveying that he felt her distress.  
  
Carlos was still at the sensor station, for he had never left it in the past several hours. He was concentrating so much on the readouts, he was getting a headache, but he ignored it. Frantic thoughts kept popping up in his mind, all-too-clear images of Sharie being forced against her will by that monster who had taken her long ago and shattered her life to dust, forcing her to rebuild it among strangers.  
  
It had shattered another person's life, also, the life of the person pacing silently in a corner of the bridge, hands clasped behind his back. His face was it's usual neutral tones, but his eyes were losing that battle. They were full of old aching torment, and the sharp pain of new ones, and dark anger lit up his eyes like fiery coals.  
  
Andros was watching another set of readouts nearby Carlos, concentrating just as hard as the black Lightstar Ranger. In a way, Carlos was grateful for the company as the two boys frantically searched for their missing girlfriends, yet were afraid of what they would find. Cassie's news had only concerned them more, and once she had finished telling her tale (Carlos sensed she had left out the worse parts, but it was still shocking) she had lapsed into silence and shut down, almost literally. Not even Phantom's comforting presence besides her could bring her out of her shell of torment. He did sense, though, that it was building, and it could explode at any time.  
  
It did, and with a vengence. "Well, say it already!" she shouted, so loudly and suddenly that everyone on the bridge stopped their activity and stared at her in surprise. DECA's light flashed on.  
  
"Go ahead and say it!" she continued, tears filling her eyes as it all hit her at once. "Say I should have stayed and done something! Say I should not have left them to fend for themselves! Even if they are now in Darkonda's grasp, how much better off are they? Astronema will still destroy them!"  
  
She burst into tears, and instantly Phantom was there, gathering her close and offering what comfort he could.  
  
"Cassie--" Carlos swallowed his surprise at her sudden outburst. "I doubt if anyone here blames you. How could you think that?"  
  
"I could not...think then..." she hiccupped, refusing to meet anybody's gaze. "I did not want to leave them in the middle of the fight, but after what Dark Dresden did to us---when Sharie told me to run, I ran! I should have stayed, tried to help, but I could not think! And now heaven knows where they are at! If Darkonda was unsuccessful--" Her dark gaze flickered to Trey. "And you should be especially upset at me, you are having to go through this all again!"  
  
Surprise and disbelief entered his eyes, mingling with all the other tormented emotions there. He shook his head. "Why, no, Cassie. You must never, ever think that I could have such feelings against you. I do not blame you in the slightest."  
  
"Listen, Cassie," said Carlos as gently as he could. "Sharie saw the only opprotunity avalible to get word to us about where you were and what was going on, and she took it. She saw you were in the right position to escape, she told you to go. I know Sharie well enough to know she would not send you to do something she or anybody else would blame you for later. Anybody who does is a damned fool for thinking it." His dark gaze traveled the room, seeing agreement in the eyes of every individual, even Trey's. Phantom's posture was enough to say he also agreed.  
  
"Are-are you sure?" asked Cassie tenatively. "I cannot stop thinking about that monster, and what he intended to do--" She shook her head, and wiped away the last of her tears. "It all seems like a bad dream, but so vividly real as well."  
  
"We are all sure, Cassie," said Trey quietly, coming across the room and laying a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Trust all of us, you did the right thing."  
  
Cassie gave him a grateful smile and laid her head tiredly on Phantom's shoulder. After her outburst and the events of the day, she felt completely drained, but undeniably better as well. Plus, Phantom's touch no longer made her feel used, which it had been until now, though she had never told him.  
  
Silence reigned on the bridge again as one set of tension drained, only to be replaced by another set as the search for Ashley and Sharie continued.  
  
****  
  
"It is all ready now," said Kerone, finishing her tinkering with the large machine marked "regenerator." "Just one more button, and the machine will think it has a systems overload and will attempt to restart, which will take about sixty seconds. During that time, the sheild will not be active. You must leave then, quickly."  
  
Sharie nodded, and then bit her lip. "Kerone," she began, taking the girls hand and stumbling over her words. "I swear to you, if there is any way we can get to you we--"  
  
"Do not make promises that border on impossiblity," said Kerone, squeezing Sharie's hands and her eyes showing genuine understanding.  
  
"Well, we still promise," said Ashley stubbornly. "Someday, Kerone, you will be reunited with Andros."  
  
All three girls hugged, then Kerone stepped back toward the large machine behind her. She hit the final button, and Sharie and Ashley felt their morphers buzz to life.  
  
"Go, quickly!" she urged. "You do not have much time."  
  
"Here!" said Ashley suddenly, reaching into her pocket and retreiving something. It was a picture of Andros she had talked him into getting taken. "Just so you know what he looks like."  
  
Kerone gazed at the picture a moment, her eyes filling again with tears. "He is so handsome now," she murmured. "I always knew he would be a ladykiller. Congratulations, Ashley, and good luck with him. Now go, before your time runs out."  
  
The girls nodded their goodbye's once more before reaching for their teleporters. There was a brilliant flash of purple and yellow, then they were gone, the generator humming to life once more and leaving Kerone alone, studying the photo with tears streaming down her cheeks.  
  
****  
  
Everyone on the bridge blinked at the brilliant yellow and purple lights that lit up the the shaking bridge in the middle of battle, and were quite surprised when Sharie and Ashley materialized out of them and dropped to the floor, rolling to a stop with a sickening thud.  
  
Andros, being the first to quickly swallow his astonishment, hit the "fire" button one more time to finish off the Dryseran vessle. The bridge stopped shaking as he got to his feet, reaching eagerly for Ashley's hand and pulling her up. She went willingly into his arms as Sharie just as quickly found herself in her brother's crushing grip.  
  
"Are you guys okay?" Andros asked. "Where did you come from? Are you hurt?"  
  
"We are fine," said Ashley woodenly. "Did Cassie make it?" was her first concern. Andros looked surprised when she pulled away from him just as quickly as she had gone to him, looking around the room.  
  
Instantly, Cassie was over there, crying again and hugging her friend. "I made it. I am glad you did too!"  
  
Suddenly, Ashley also felt her pent-up emotions and frustrations roaring to the surface, and she also started to cry.  
  
"We are fine," she managed again, feeling a little silly for crying in front of everybody but needing the release. "We just came from a secret compound of Darkonda's. He had trapped us there, but we escaped." She glanced over at Sharie, who was leaning rather heavily on her brother's frame, as if she were suddenly very, very tired. Her expression was wooden, her eyes empty of any emotion except torment. She could not even find the solace of tears, even now, and it was probably the thing she and Trey needed the most.  
  
Carlos was there also, he had been for some seconds now. "So you escaped before--" he was not sure if he could put it right. Sharie's eyes flickered in his direction, finally showing some recogintion, and she wiggled slightly so Trey would loosen his grip. He did, though he seemed reluctant to let her go, as if it were only her touch that reassured him she was all right. She went over to Carlos and allowed him to throw his arms around her. He could feel her trembling against him, and he suddenly realized the effort it was costing her to hold it all in. She was dangerously close to exploding herself, though she showed almost no other sign.  
  
"We were not raped, no," said Ashley, almost choking over the word. "After Cassie ran like Sharie told her to do, Darkonda, Sharie, and I managed to beat off the rest of the guards. That is when Darkonda took us to his compound."  
  
TJ had taken over the controls, and began to direct the attack against the last Dryseran vessel. When Sharie noticed what he was doing, she finally sprange to life somewhat.  
  
"Do not destroy that vessel!" she cried. "That is the ship Dark Dresden is on! But while I would like to see him destroyed, there are many innocents aboard that ship as well, including his many misused servants. They do not need to be destroyed as well."  
  
"I agree," said Andros immediately. "Don't destroy the vessel, then, TJ. Disable it so we can form some sort of party to go aboard and bring Dark Dresden to justice."  
  
"Dark Dresden needs to be destroyed, at all costs!" Sharie suddenly burst out. She turned red just as quickly, as if regretting her outburst. "He will be back if he is allowed to live, and he is untrustworthy. The last time he was in this sector of space, he was stripped of everything he had and was banished. But Dryseran law says that a Dryseran will never lose what he has, no matter what, except in cases of treason. He obviously made his way back to Drysera and was given a whole new fleet." Her eyes burned with rage, and Carlos could tell that her redoubled efforts to control herself were taking her dangerously close to the snapping point. She glanced at Trey, then rapidly looked away. He was in a similar state, and she did not want to break down in front of him.  
  
There was a beeping sound on the bridge.  
  
"The Dryseran vessel is hailing," said DECA coldly, her voice showing what she thought of the whole situation as well.  
  
There was sudden silence on the bridge.  
  
"Open a channel," said Andros in a deadly voice.  
  
TJ obliged him, and the cold blue eyes and golden blond hair of Dark Dresden filled the screen.  
  
****  
  
Those icy blue eyes were deadly in the handsome face, and the handsome face was twisted into a sneer.  
  
"Call off your attack, rangers," he snarled. "You cannot win."  
  
"Face it, Dark Dresden," said Andros cooly, "You are beaten. Stand down and prepare to surrender. That, or be destroyed."  
  
"Never!" he snarled. His eyes fell on Sharie, and his rage blazed into outright fury. "Dammit, Sharie, you did it *again!* How dare you! You know too much, and I cannot allow you to live. Don't you know I would have released your friends? Treated you like a queen? Not many have your degree of mental powers. It is still not too late for you to join me."  
  
Sharie stood as straight as she could, her chin lifted and her eyes bazing in a way she suspected no one had ever before seen. Her fists were clenched by her sides as she fought to control her almost unnatural rage. When she spoke, it was controlled and centralized.  
  
"I am going to say the word again, Dark Dresden, the word you cannot ever seem to accept. *No*! I would not help you then, I will not betray my friends now! I would not help you in any conventional means even when you beat me within an inch of my life all those years ago. I will not let you sway me with sweet words and promises of glory. I do not desire it, and your reign of terror over innocent victims has come to an end!"  
  
"Oh?" he said cooly, almost mockingly. "You were going to give yourself to me, it seemed, back in the prison. I have my weapons trained on your vessel. Join me, or you all die."  
  
She could not believe how simple he made it sound. "I was only going to do it to save my friends from your perverted lusts. They are more important to me than anything you could ever be. And we both outgun and outnumber you. I have a whole fleet of vessels under my control now, Dark Dresden. I have grown up, and my powers are too much for you. Surrendering is your only option.  
  
"Hogwash!" he dismissed her claim to a fleet of vessles with a wave of his hand. "I have heard of your powers, Sharie, but even I am not dumb enough to believe you have a whole fleet at your disposal. Fine, you refuse, and since you know too much and I want my revenge on you, you must die. Say goodnight, Gracie!"  
  
Before he could shut off the channel, however, he looked in a direction beyond them, and started to utter some protests. "Hey, what are *you* doing here?" he asked, moving beyond the visual range of the signal. "Get out of my quarters, and get away from me. Get--"  
  
An earsplitting scream filled the air, as if somebody was in their death throes. Then there was slience, and Astronema filled the screen.  
  
She smiled wickedly. "Greetings, rangers. Sorry about that, I had a score to settle with Dark Dresden here for betraying me and not keeping his word. So, to put it mildly, I took care of him for you. His servants have been freed. I won't harm them, after what they have been through. It would simply not be worth it. I will let them take this ship and go home. Until we meet again, rangers." She gave them an almost innocent smile before her face vanished from the screen.  
  
Sharie slumped, and Carlos was suddenly there again. She made not a sound, her face remained wooden and her eyes empty, but she was glad some small part of her nightmarish past was over.  
  
****  
  
A few moments later, though, she straightened herself and caught Ashley's eye. "Ash..." she said quietly, indicating Andros with a nod. Ashley nodded also, and took Andros's hand to pull him over to the corner of the bridge. "Andros, we have something to tell you..." she trailed off as Sharie joined them.  
  
As they began a whispered conversation unintelligible to the ears of the others present, Trey caught Carlos's eye. "I will be in my assigned guest room," he said softly. Carlos nodded, understanding Trey's desire to be alone. The young Lord of Triforia slipped out the door onto the lift, the doors hissing shut behind him.  
  
A moment later, Andros's gasped, "*What?!*" could be heard by everybody present. Sharie handed him something small. He glanced at it, then burst into tears. Ashley reached for him and held onto him as tightly as she could. A few minutes later, he glanced at Sharie, mouthing the words, "Thank you." She reached for his hand and squeezed it gently before backing out of the conversation. This was mostly between him and Ashley, while she had a brother to find. She was not going to let him sit alone with his misery, and his feelings were more important to her than her own.  
  
****  
  
"Come in," said the monotone voice on the other side. Sharie frowned, but reached up and pressed the "enter" button, so the doors swung open.  
  
Trey was at the windows, on the windowseat, where she rather expected him to be. Silent as a shadow, she stepped in and came over to him, her eyes staring at his unseeing and uncomprehending face, as wooden and neutral as her own. Only his eyes revealed the utter torment that was only a thread away from breaking loose over the ghosts of the past that had so recently come back to haunt them both.  
  
It burned her with her own pain to see him like that. Her own feelings were beside the point, she was too used to shutting herself off from the ever-growing, horrendous pain,but she could not stand to see him like this. She stared at him until he blinked and turned his head, as if finally aware she was there. She knew he had known since she stepped in, but only now was he responding.  
  
Neither moved as their eyes locked, and an eternity seemed to pass as she sensed him trying to read her gaze, but was unable to as she tightened her control further.  
  
It was probably the wrong thing to do, for she sensed his frustration. "Dammit, Sharie," he suddenly hissed, choking on the words. "Please don't shut me out! Sometimes I cannot stand it when you are here in body but not in spirit!"  
  
She blinked, startled. "I am not--"  
  
"Yes, you are!" he snapped. "Don't you recall what it is like, Sharie, to have you gone then and now, leaving only icy emptiness? And then when you return, your eyes and spirit seem to be absent so it is almost the same as if you were still gone!"  
  
"So do you, Trey Taryn Triesta!" she almost shouted as her control started to give way. "You always try not to show it when you hurt, and I can never get it out of you at times! If I did not remain neutral, you would never reveal a thing! Besides, my feelings are besides the point! I lost the ability to care about what I felt long ago! But *you*--you are more important to me than my life, Trey, don't you know that by now? How can I help you if you don't give me the chance?"  
  
"Sharie!" he grabbed her arms suddenly and forced her to look into his eyes. "Don't you ever, and I mean *ever*, think your feelings are besides the point, for they are not! You are not half a person, Sharie! You cannot shut yourself off from them as if you are stone!"  
  
"Let me go!" she said, struggling against his grip. "I am stone, Trey Triesta! I have empathy and compassion because I hate to see others suffer, but I am stone, and that is all there is to it! It is how I have had to survive, and it is what you did, don't deny it! And don't ever tell me what I may and may not do again. Now let me go!"  
  
"No!" he said firmly. He was stronger than she was, and he kept his grip tight. "Not until I reach the person whom you truly are, Sharie! I have seen flashes of her, but she never takes hold for long, but it is a person I would want to see. Sometimes, I think I do not know you anymore."  
  
"I said, *let me go*!" She did not know where her rage came from, but it surged through her so suddenly it gave her a strength she did not know she had. Before she realized what she had done, she had wrestled free from his bruising grip, her hand had flashed out, and she had slapped him across the face.  
  
She had never before struck anybody in anger like that in her entire life. She had never allowed herself to lose that much control. It shocked her into silence, and she stared at him, completely horrified. He looked stunned. "Oh, gods, Trey, I..."  
  
She turned on her heels and bolted to her own quarters right next to his. She collapsed in a heap on the floor by a couch, shaking, not noticing the tears streaming down her face, faced with the consequences of letting her own anger get the best of her. She bit her lips, trying to fight it all back down under an impenetrable barrier so no one would ever see them again. She was too dangerous.  
  
She did not meet with much success, for she leaned her head on the cushions, her tears still somehow escaping her eyes. She did not dare reach out her mind to Trey's, she was too afraid of the anger she would surely find. She ignored her sore arms where his grip had seemed like iron. She closed her eyes, wishing the whole universe would just *go away*.  
  
She was unaware he had entered her quarters until she heard his quiet footsteps stop beside her. She was afraid to open her eyes for a moment as she heard him kneel beside her and his hand slip into one of hers. "Lalinka..." came a soft, barely audible whisper. "Please, look at me..."  
  
Only then did her eyes open and her head raise. Still scared of what she would see, knowing it would destroy her, she met his gaze. His face was tearstreaked, it was obvious he too had been crying. But when her gaze finally met his, she was shocked to see that there was not one hint of anger in his dark depths, but a pleading look was penetrating the pain and torment that was also there, silently begging her to open up to him, at least a little.  
  
But it was the love she still saw there, and the fierce loyalty, that really made her lose the last of her defenses. A sob lodged in her throat as, hoping he would not push her away, she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around him tightly, burying her face in his chest. She felt him shaking as his arms closed around her as tightly as he dared. "Gods, Trey, I am so sorry! Please forgive me..." she stumbled around the choking sobs as she found her defenses completely gone.  
  
"It is all right, Lalinka," he murmured, rocking her. "It was my fault, not yours. You had every right to slap me for not listening to you."  
  
"No, I did not! I have never struck anybody like that before, Trey. That is why I dare not lose control. When I do, I lose too much. I still do not see how you can forgive me."  
  
He stroked her hair, soothing her as best he could while ignoring the tears streaming freely down his own face. Maybe some good did come of the argument, for he had finally reached her. And the slap she had dealt him had shocked him enough into losing his own defenses, although he still thought he had deserved it.  
  
She squirmed in obvious discomfort when his arms brushed her upper arms, and he shoved up the short sleeves, feeling a new sense of horror as he saw the angry red gripmarks. Some would be bruises.  
  
"*That* is why I deserved it!" he choked angrily. "Dammit, Sharie, I caused you pain! Why did you not tell me?"  
  
She shoved her sleeves back down. "I was too angry at you for trying to force me to do what I thought I could not do. I hate feeling this raw, this exposed! I certainly also do not like showing it! I have had to learn to bury it, and the pain will never abate, you know that as well as I! The pain of losing you, the pain of loving you, the painful thought of how things went and how I could do nothing! And the pain now of hurting you physically when you did not deserve it! I love you, Trey, and I do not want to live if even the slightest part of you is angry at me."  
  
"Lalinka, I am not angry, truthfully. I do not know how to convince you of that, but *please* do not shut down again before we have had a chance to talk. I know it sounds like rubbing salt into wounds, but there is too much that needs to be said."  
  
She nodded, but was silent again as her quiet sobs abated, though the tears continued to stream heedlessly down her face. They were silent for a long time, letting loose the flood of emotion that had ensnared them for so long. Sharie, though, made the silent decision that there was still a great deal of her past she could never tell them. Trey, holding onto her as tightly as he dared and not wanting to let go, also made the same silent vow.  
  
****  
  
"...And the next thing I knew, I was rolling to a stop on your ship," said Cassie, staring off into space as she completed her tale. She had repeated it with full detail at Tar'yn's insistence, and she was glad to get it all off her chest.  
  
"Trust me, Cassie, when I say you did do the right thing," he assured her, hugging her close to his unmorphed chest in the privacy of her bedroom.  
  
She relaxed against him, finally feeling the last of her guilt fade. "I know so now, too, " she admitted, feeling him kiss her forehead. It caused goosebumps to break out all over her skin.  
  
"Then don't fret over it anymore," he said, seeming to be unable to stop himself as he kissed her head again. "You did the right thing, and everything turned out like we had hoped. I am proud of you, Cassie, no doubt everyone is for your bravery."  
  
"That is sweet," she admitted, turning her face up so that when he would have kissed her head again, he met her lips instead. He felt the familiar fire burn at the wanting of her, but again restrained himself. "Cassie, are you sure you want to do this? It is your first time, and you know what happened..."  
  
For answer, she reached up and pressed her lips to his again, her mouth scorching against his. Some tenuous link inside of him must have snapped, for he suddenly crushed her against him, pressing his mouth to hers, hard, his lips urging hers open so his tongue could slide inside. she responded eagerly, pressing against him and leaning into the heated embrace for all she was worth.  
  
"Last chance, Cassie," he rasped, coming up for air. His hands did not seem to obey his commands to still, for they were slipping under her shirt even as he spoke. "If you keep pressing me like this, I am not going to have enough control left to stop easily."  
  
She moaned softly as his hands roamed over her soft skin, and her lips burned against his again. He lost control then and ceased caring, pulling her down on the bed to make the most of what they obviously both wanted so desperately. Things might keep them apart for now, but they always had tomorrow, after all.  
  
****  
  
"You look bushed, Querida," Carlos teased gently when he saw her the next morning. "What did you do, fall asleep on the floor?"  
  
She blinked, trying to control her surprise. He was exactly right, more than she cared to have him know. The sheild had slipped back into place again, but with a difference. The pain would always torment her, but it no longer boiled at the surface like it had been doing of late. Her eyes had ceased being dull, or tormented, or enraged. They were now brighter than Carlos had seen them recently, and for that, he was glad.  
  
It was obvious in Trey, too, and the difference was encouraging. They were laughing and joking around with the other rangers, for once, and Sharie seemed more willing to let her positive side show.  
  
"Beauty treatment," she joked as he hugged her, not letting him see her wince. Due to her accelerated healing, there was now little evidence of the bruises from Trey's crushing grip, but it was still a little sore.  
  
"Ha, ha," he responded, kissing her briefly. "Do you have time to come with me this morning, Querida?" he asked.  
  
"Where and why?" she asked, seeing the mischevious grin on his face.  
  
"You will see. I already talked to your Aunt Marisha and Uncle Thoene about it, they agreed to help me."  
  
She stared at him as they teleported to her house, right on the beach by her lake. There was a box beside the bench, and he pulled her over to it.  
  
"Open it," he directed. She gave him an odd look, but obeyed him.  
  
She gasped in a mixture of shock and delight as she lifted the cover. "Oh, kittens!" she exclaimed. Two small, half-grown kittens, as blue as the sky, jumped out of the box directly into her lap. "Carlos, they are so cute!"  
  
"I saw how much you liked that kitten we returned to the little girl, and I thought a couple of cats would be the perfect way for you to have company even when you are alone." Her grin of delight told him he had done the right thing. "They are smart, too. I think they understand what we say to them. They are a boy and a girl. Only problem is, they have not yet been fixed."  
  
"I can train them to behave," she said, studying them. "And no cat of mine will find themselves fixed with surgery. That is cruel. I can use medication to help with that. Have they names?"  
  
"That is up to you, Querida," he chuckled.  
  
Sharie grinned at him before studying the tom kitten, who had eyes a clear, hypnotic topaz. "He shall be called Topaz," she said, echoing Carlos's own thoughts. "And the girl..." She saw the cat had purple eyes, much like her own. "Violeta," she said with finality. They purred, liking the names, and settled down in her lap to snooze, typical cats in every sense.  
  
"And what thanks do I get?" asked Carlos jokingly. She looked surprised, then amused.  
  
"Don't push it, Perez," she said, also jokingly, before leaning over and pressing her lips to his. "Men. They will do anything for a kiss."  
  
Carlos laughed and ruffled her hair. "For you, Querida, I guess that literally does mean anything."  
  
"Let's not make it so hard, shall we?" She leaned over again, pressing her lips against his harder. "I am not that difficult to please." He smiled and returned her heated kisses without further comment. 


	5. Trust a Dryseran?, story 5

Disclaimer: Onwards with the revamp! Whomever it is nowadays owns the Power Rangers!!! Ooooh, boy, I just loves it when a member of the enemy turns traiter and proves he's a friend, after all!!! Oh, and somebody asked this once, long ago, and I just remembered.....I am glad *somebody* noticed the vague Dilithum reference in here.....because yes, I do enjoy Star Trek: The Next Generation, and slipped the reference in as a small joke and tribute.  
  
Story number five in my 'From The Stars' series. Read n' enjoy. Thanks to Starhawk for her Color Withdrawl concept, as usual, to my readers, for reading, and to the rest of you, you know who you are, since I'd take up about six pages listing you all.  
  
Trust a Dryseran? By ZeoViolet Teaser: Whether it was the right thing to do or not, guilt like this is an awful thing to bear.  
  
The woman stopped brushing her long golden hair and stared at herself in a mirror. She was beginning to really dislike seeing little else of people except her own reflection, she mused, as deep purple eyes stared back at her. Nearly twelve years in this prison, and they had been the lonliest twelve years of her life.  
  
*It is worse than being a prisoner-of-war when I was the Gold Ranger,* she thought, tossing her waist-length, ringlet curls of purest gold down her back. *I am 23,000 years old, and I still cannot bear the lonliness. What keeps me from cracking? Why have I not gone insane, though I yearn for a breath of outside air? Though I yearn for my family, my children?*  
  
Gods, her children. Surely it was not possible for a person to miss their own children more than the two she had given birth and given life to. The same two precious souls that were surely dead by now, or prisoners themselves.  
  
The former Lady of Triforia sighed again and stretched her tall, willowy frame, steadfastly avoiding the almost accusing gaze of the mirror. Oftentimes, seeing the reflection of a woman much younger-looking than her 23,000 years would suggest (since her people stopped aging once they hit eighteen or nineteen years of age) brought too many painful memories of her own children, whom resembled her almost too much for comfort in this lonely life.  
  
*Like my wonderful older child, my Trey,* She bit her lip as mental images of her handsome son came to her mind. He looked like her, all right, with the same noble features, high forehead, arrow-straight nose, high cheekbones, and noble jaw shape. The only reminders in him of her deceased husband, Teryan, were his near-black hair and intense dark eyes, and the masculine touch to his features, since he was male.  
  
*I wish I knew what happened to him after the Triforian-Dryseran war,* she thought, trying to keep the despair out of her mind. She heard little from the outside world, except that he had won the war itself. So chances were good he was alive now.  
  
*But he is alone...because of what I have done, what I had to do...* A thunderbolt of anguish hit her hard as a sudden image of her younger child, her little girl, danced like an angel in front of her vision, her long golden hair flowing, her gauzy robe flowing around her as she danced upon her toes, her lovely clear voice rising to her own inner tune as she spun, and her great purple eyes glittering with happiness and enthusiasm.  
  
*My own child, I am sorry....I had to send you away...I pray you understand one day!* The vision in front of her eyes refused to cease, a happy, tiny child, for once exposing the sweetly enthusiastic side of herself she so rarely displayed. The image widened as she also saw the child's own brother standing in a corner of the room, watching her little fairy-child in delight, pride in his eyes as he saw how quickly she mastered Triforian dances.  
  
*And now my Sharie, my miracle child whom I thought I could never give birth to, you are gone, and I only hope that when I sent you away, you did not fall into evil hands. Wherever you are, my child, I hope you are happy, maybe you could even reunite with your brother one day.*  
  
She would be seventeen now, Jeanette could not help but think. Eighteen very soon. Her little girl was born the very image of her mother, in all respects, down to the eyes and hair. Almost nothing of her father was in her, except for the ear shape and the temper she so carefully sheilded from everybody, as well as the astonishing mental powers she posessed. Her father had been quite powerful in the mental area, but Sharie's abilities blew even his out the window. She was one of The Ones, the rare mental elite among Triforians, an almost unknown group but their purpose was for their astonishing mental powers. The only physical difference she did not share with either parent was she had been so small. Unless she had hit a surprise growth spurt by now, she would be on the short side all her life.  
  
A sudden sense of someone approaching her prison door made Jeanette Triesta pause. It was not time for her jailers to check and see if she was still in existence. The only two jailers she had seen in days were not her usual ones, since they had accompanied Dark Dresden to bring war to another planet. These two were often bored and seemed to hurry on with their duties as soon as they saw she had not escaped.  
  
There was a rattling of keys and a punching of buttons as someond undid the numerous locks on the door of her comfortable-looking prison. Jeanette stared in surprise as Dyson, her usual and favorite jailer, came stumbling through the doorway, almost staggering. The door slammed shut and relocked behind him.  
  
"Dyson!" Jeanette gasped as she grabbed him by the arm and pulled him to a couch. "You look as if you have been through hell. What happened?"  
  
"Sit down, Jeanette," he said rather flatly, his greenish eyes looking tired and relieved at the same time. "I have some news to tell you."  
  
"News?" Jeanette echoed, sitting beside him, her fair face looking puzzled. "Dyson, you never give me news from the outside."  
  
"I am this time. Jeanette, it is time for some truths to come to light, for much has changed within the past couple of days."  
  
Jeanette bit her full lip, but paid close attention. She nearly fell over in shock as Dyson said bluntly, "Dark Dresden is dead."  
  
She shook her head, certain what she had heard was only wishful thinking. "What?"  
  
"He is gone, Jeanette. Dead. Killed while trying to conquer Earth. Most of his fleet was destroyed, and I barely escaped with the skin of my hide intact. His servants permitted me to live since I was one of the few who treated them decently, and they dropped me off here. But that is not all. I have much more to tell you."  
  
"Dyson, if he is dead, then let me go!" Jeanette pleaded suddenly, tears filling her violet-purple eyes. "He was the one who trapped me here when I would not tell him the wherabouts of my daughter. If he is dead, then there is no further reason to keep me here. I want to get out of here and try and get my family back together, or at least find out what happened to them!"  
  
"Calm down, Jeanette! I cannot just let you go, it would be a crime that would cost your life and mine among my people. I have never liked how Dark Dresden kept you here, and I consider you a friend, but I think you would want to keep your skin intact."  
  
"Please, Dyson!" His heart melted at her pleading eyes. Of course he had every intention of helping her escape the injustice of this prison.  
  
"Relax, Jeanette. I do have a plan. But first you must listen to further news, since it quite concerns you. It is about your son, Trey."  
  
She was instantly silent. Except knowing he had won the Triforian-Dryseran war, she had heard nothing since her imprisonment.  
  
"Your son was on Earth at the time of Dark Dresden's attack, helping the Earth Rangers. He is very much alive, and is good friends with them. I happen to know he has never given up looking for you, but that is not all.  
  
"Living on Earth as well was a girl who had been there since she was nearly six years old, a girl Dark Dresden had been looking for for nearly twelve years. She is a Triforian Princess who now holds the Zeo Violet Ranger powers, and her resemblance to you is unmistakable...Jeanette, it was your daughter, Sharie."  
  
She stared at him in stunned, almost disbelieving silence. He was not surprised in the least when her mind, overcoming barriers drilled into her all her life not to do this type of thing, flooded into his own. It lasted only a moment, only long enough to sense the truth of his words. He did not mind the intrusion, after what she had been through in the past several years, she was entitled to the truth.  
  
Once she felt the sense of truth flood her, reality settled on her heavily. A low cry escaped her lips and tears flooded her eyes, streaming down her cheeks unheeded. Really unsure of what to do, he laid a gentle hand on her shoulder and pulled her to him. She went willingly, for she trusted him.  
  
"My daughter!" she cried. "My little girl is alive! And how she must hate me for what I have done to her!" It caused such an incredible stab of pain in her heart, she was sure it would break, the thought that her daughter was alive, but would reject her own mother who loved her more than anything in the universe.  
  
"I hope you do not mind my asking, Jeanette," said Dyson gently, "what did happen? How did she end up on Earth without your knowing? All these years, you have managed to keep your silence."  
  
"I...sent her...away..." Jeanette choked between silent sobs. "It was the only way to protect her from Dark Dresden. He would have found her had she stayed on Triforia or any nearby planet. I...sent her away in secret...with the Zeo Violet Ranger Powers...and also ensured she would never splinter. I gave her all...the protection I could...but even I did not know where I sent her...that is why they could not force it out of me...And Trey did not...did not..." She went silent as the pain struck her harder, more accusingly.  
  
"You did not tell him your plans, did you?" finished Dyson gently. "From what I understand, they were reunited about two and a half weeks ago. They probably know by now what you did, but I am not sure of their feelings on the matter. But I can tell you your daughter has grown into a very beautiful young woman, almost your mirror image. I saw her myself."  
  
"Did...you tell...her anything?" Jeanette managed.  
  
"No, I did not dare. Dark Dresden would have found out, and he also never said a word. But he attempted to get your daughter to become his consort, partially for revenge, also because he wanted her considerable powers, both Zeo and mental."  
  
"Gods, I hope she did not agree." Jeanette knew plenty about Dark Dresden's lusts, and she felt lucky that the end of the Triforian-Dryseran war had come just in time to save her from such a fate by Dark Dreden.  
  
"She was going to at one point, to save some of her friends whom he had also captured from suffering that humiliating fate. But they escaped, with a little help of Darkonda and yours truly, and a villianness named Astronema, Princess of Evil, destroyed him for betraying her."  
  
"Thank gods," sighed Jeanette, drawing in a deep, shaky breath. "I wish to go to Earth, Dyson. You said you would try to get me out of here."  
  
"I will, and I have a plan. No Dryseran court would let you out, since they backed up Dark Dresden when he stuck you here. The best way would be for me to sneak to outposts nearby Triforia, and spread rumors about your wherabouts and how to get you out of here. I will have to go in quietly, since I am probably a wanted criminal there, but Trey will surely get wind of such information quickly, and he could attempt a rescue, although whether your daughter would come or not is unknown."  
  
"Whether *he* would come or not should be unknown," said Jeanette bitterly. "Especially if he knows about what I had to do to protect Sharie, it may still seem to him like I did not trust him. And what if they don't succeed? This place is worse than a fortress...booby-trapped and hard to get into, besides being guarded."  
  
"Hopefully, the clues I intend to provide will give them some help. There is just one thing I ask in return for all of this. If you are rescued, place a good word in for me and don't denounce me. Unlike most of my people, I actually have a conscience and am a good guy. I hated Dark Dresden and what he stood for. But I was forced into his service."  
  
"I will, Dyson," Jeanette looked at her friend gratefully. "If I ever get back and you need a place to stay, I will see to it Triforia welcomes you."  
  
After he had left, Jeanette flung her slender frame onto her bed, crying softly. Gods, surely her children would never forgive her for the actions she had taken out of love and a desperate desire to save her youngest child. Praying to whomever might be listening that her dreams of a reunion with her family might not be in vain, she fell asleep, her dreams alternately peppered with visions of a sweet reunion and dark denoucement.  
  
****  
  
"Awww, how cute..." said Carlos, leaning over Sharie's shoulder and looking at the photo album she tried to hid from him.  
  
"Carlos!" she yelped, clutching it to her chest and bending forward. "Who gave you permission to try and sneak up behind me like that? Did you not know I heard you several feet away?"  
  
Delighted by her giggles, he ran his fingers over her ribs and tickled her mercilessly. She burst into helpless peals of laughter but refused to give up her album. "With you I would expect as much, Sharie Triesta! Now, are you going to let me see the album?" He teased, not letting up his onslaught.  
  
"Never!" She sqealed, struggling to her feet and racing across the beach. "You don't want to see pictures of me in my younger days, Carlos Perez!"  
  
It was a come-and-get-me dare, and Carlos all too happily took it. Trey watched in amusement as he sped off across the sand of Sharie's private lake, chasing after the slim figure in purple.  
  
"Do they usually act that silly?" whispered Delphine from beside him. He turned his smile on her, but then looked serious. She was here, instead of him being on Aquitar, because of recent events. Trey simply did not want to leave his sister after what had happened two days before. "Not to that extent. Sharie...rarely shows that side of herself, and frankely, I am amazed Carlos managed to drag it out of her. She needs to act her age more often."  
  
He watched idly as Sharie slowed deliberately, and Carlos caught up with her, mock-tackling her and bringing her to her knees in the sand, tickling her again. Her squeals of laughter reached his ears, and privately, he was never so glad to hear such a sound.  
  
"She is so much like you," Delphine's quiet voice startled him into turning his gaze at her in surprise.  
  
"Many have said that," he admitted, shifting so he could pull her closer. "She looks like me, after all..."  
  
"Much more than looks, and you know it. She is inherently stubborn to a fault, like you, she hides her feelings too much, like you, and she is afraid of letting go of her anger lest she get reckless, like you." Shocked, he met her gaze, wondering if Sharie had told her about their argument, the one that still made his gut twist with shame. "How do you know all this?" he whispered.  
  
"Because I have sensed it all in you, and Sharie projects the sense that she is your mirror image in a lot of ways. She projects it even more intensely at times." Delphine sighed and laid her head on his shoulder. "Or she at least equals your intensity. She told me once that you are the type of person who does not love easily, Trey, but when you find it, you love more intensely than most. I believe it is very true, and if you look down the beach, there is another case."  
  
The thought only flashed in his mind for a moment to reprimand Sharie for telling her that, for his gaze flickered to the dark-haired boy swinging his sister up in his arms and twirling her around and around. It caused another two images image of similar couples to spring to his mind, unbidden, of a dark-haired young man clutching his golden-haired love to him like she was the most precious thing in the Universe, the other of another young woman he had once loved, and lost long ago, a dark-haired, blue-eyed vixen whom, like the Aquitian beside him, he had loved with all his heart and soul.  
  
"I remember another pair," he mumbled to himself, momentarily forgetting she was there. "Our parents--they were like that. Sharie--she is even more like our mother now than she was."  
  
Delphine said nothing for a moment, remebering she had once seen a picture of Trey's parents on the news some centuries before. Indeed, the happy couple down the beach would remind anyone who had seen it of them. Carlos did not resemble Teryan that much, but Sharie was a near mirror-image of her mother. The way they held each other was strangely remeniscent of the picture she had seen, of strong love and even stronger bonds forged.  
  
Delphine turned her head and studied Trey closely for a moment, noticing his gaze was far away, into another time, and sadness hinted at their depths. She got the odd sense he was not only referring to his mother, but about that same young woman he had told her about once, but had never spoken of since then. "She also reminds you of Nikita, right?" she asked softly, hoping he would not wince.  
  
He did blink, but made no further move. "In some ways, she does, but Sharie looks nothing like her. They are similar in temprament, for example. But you," his eyes cleared and he looked directly at Delphine again. "You remind me of her much more."  
  
"Does that bother you?" she asked a bit hesistantly. She was not sure she would like it if he loved her because she reminded him of a long-gone ghost, well-loved or not.  
  
"Absolutely not," he assured her swiftly, gathering her close and looking into her dark eyes. "I love you for *you*, Delphine, and don't you ever dare doubt it. It was your intense gaze that first drew me to you, and your soul touched mine of it's own accord, not because I was persuing a ghost. You set some painful ghosts to rest, my heart is free and yours to claim."  
  
For a moment, she was rendered speechless. For some unknown reason, tears flooded her eyes. How did he do that? Dazzle her completely with his soft- spoken, heartfelt words? Was it because of the honest feelings she could see behind his eyes? Was it also linked with her own heart's yearnings?  
  
When she finally found her tongue, she managed to whisper, "You know I claimed it the moment I knew I was free to do so. I have it, and I swear I will not give it up."  
  
He smiled and lifted her chin, a soft promise glowing in his eyes as he gently lowered his lips to hers, resealing a silent vow they had both made when they had first realized that this love was truly meant to be.  
  
****  
  
"Okay, okay, Uncle, I give up, I quit, I surrender..." Carlos gasped out, pinned beneath Sharie's legs straddling his stomach and one of her hands pinning both of his own. She was stronger than he was, being Triforian, but he still found it a bit astonishing at times. She had been tickling one of his few ticklish areas, around his neck and shoulders, and he felt completely helpless.  
  
"Scout's honor?" she pressed, leaning on him a bit harder and unsuccessfully trying to control her own giggles. Topaz and Violeta, her new kittens, saunterd up and curled around Carlos's head, like they belonged there. "I am almost tempted to leave you here like that. That makes a cute picture."  
  
"Scout's honor, I swear," he said, catching his breath. She grinned charmingly at him, and he knew the grin he was giving back was just probably foolishly lovesick. Plus, with her on top of him like that, and her hair framing her face loosely and setting off her amazing purple eyes even more deeply, he was becoming very aware of her presence so close to his. "So? Are you going to let me up?" he asked, his skin beginning to tingle uncomfortably. The kittens snuggled in, licked his ears, and padded his cheeks with their paws. Sharie, watching, could not stop giggling.  
  
She obligingly started to scoot backwards off his hard stomach, letting go of his hands. She was unprepared for the suddenly wicked look that came on his face as he caught her wrists this time, and she barely had time to squeak as he sat up, yanked her to him, and pressed his lips down on hers with a lava-hot intensity. A split-second later, she was crushed against him and her fingers had found their way around his neck and into his hair, and her tongue had found his and was dancing an interesting tango. Fire scorched her blood faster than she had ever felt it go before, sweeping away conscious thought before she could put rhyme or reason to what was happening.  
  
She felt him shiver beneath her fingertips and where her delicate frame was pressed against his hard one, curled in his lap, driving the need for ecstacy to new, sun-hot heights. Her lips against his became harder and more wild, and it drove him completely insane. It was not until his hands somehow found her slim waist and slipped beneath her shirt, not until unmistakable signs of his arousal pressed insistently against her thigh, did a splash of surprise penetrate her senses like cold water, reminding her of where they were.  
  
She pulled her mouth from his with an effort, a blush heating her cheeks as she rasped, "They say that Trifiorians are insatiable, Carlos, but would you consider trying out that theory here on the beach with an audience within eyeshot?"  
  
Scarlet flooded his face, and his eyes flew open in surprise. He glaced quickly at the pair down the way, and sighed in relief as he saw they were so wrapped up in each other they were not even glancing in their direction. He looked back at her, consternation on his face, withdrawing his fingers from beneath her shirt. "I am sorry, Querida, I should not have..."  
  
"Sh." She laid her fingers on his lips, cutting him off. "Don't apologize. You might as well know I would not have stopped you if Trey and Delphine had not been here."  
  
"What?" he asked, his hands coming up to frame her face. "Do you feel you are ready for that, Querida? I could never take advantage...I mean, I have wanted you since the first time I saw...oh...I cannot get out what I am trying to say!" he said, frustrated. He shook his head. "And especially after what you went through two days ago? I am still surprised you can even *stand* my touch."  
  
"Carlos..." it hurt to say this, especially when she had fought it all back down again, but she had to tell him. "When you touch me, I feel loved. I want to be touched by you, to feel you hold me. Dark Dresden was the kind of person...nobody could be touched by him without feeling revulsion. He was exceptionally handsome, but so saidistic and cruel, it made him a monster. He never raped me, thank Gods, but even his touch made me want to hurl. With you...it is not that way." her eyes pleaded with him to realize what she was trying to tell him.  
  
"I understand," he whispered, leaning down and gently kissing her again, this time only touching his lips to hers in a kiss of soft promise and reassurance. "You never have to be afraid around me, Querida, *ever*."  
  
"I know. I am lucky to have found someone like you, Carlos," she said. He hugged her, and she hugged him back, relaxing within his strong embrace.  
  
She squirmed slightly when his arms squeezed hers a bit too tightly, she still hurt from where Trey had squeezed her arms the other night. She hoped Carlos did not notice, he would be furious.  
  
Unfortunately, he did. He pulled back, concerned, and moved his hands to her upper arms. Before she could push his hands away, he gently squeezed them again. This time her wince was unmistakable.  
  
"Gods, Sharie, *what happened*?" he asked, for he had shoved her shirtsleeves up before she could stop him. "Your arms are bruised!"  
  
"It is nothing," she began, shoving his hands away and pushing her sleeves back down. "I just got hurt, that is all." No way would she betray her brother about the fight they had had. He had not realized he had gripped her arms so hard, he had certainly not intended it, just like she had not intended to haul off and slap him in the face for not listening to her, either.  
  
"Yeah, right," Carlos snorted. "Those are gripmarks from someone's hands. Did Dark Dresden do that to you?"  
  
She opened her mouth, then shut it. Perhaps it would be better to let him believe that Dark Dresden had inflicted those. Heaven knew that monster had actually beaten her senseless countless times when she was younger......  
  
She was saved from having to answer him at all when her communicator went off. Down the beach, she saw Trey do the same. She glanced at Carlos, who shrugged. His communicator had not gone off, so it had to be from Triforia. Sharie also shrugged and opened the comm channel for three-way communication.  
  
"Trey here," she heard her brother answer.  
  
"Trey?" Sharie recognized the voice, it was Troy, her brother's best friend on Triforia. "I am glad I got ahold of you. Is Sharie with you? Are you together in a place I can teleport to? What I have to say should probably be said directly."  
  
Sharie saw her brother shoot her a glance down the beach. She nodded her permission. "Go ahead and come, Troy. The only people here besides myself and Trey know who we are," she said into her own communicator.  
  
"I am on my way. I will be there in a moment," The young Triforian said without further comment, closing the link. Sharie reached over and scooped up her photo album, and she and Carlos turned, making their way back toward Delphine and Trey, looking confused.  
  
"That does not seem like Troy at all," she commented once they reached them. "Troy is usually much more open."  
  
"He is," said Trey, concerned. "Unless it is something vitally important. He is upset, and I hope it is nothing serious."  
  
****  
  
A moment later, a grey-black streak teleported in a dark-haired boy with concerned blue eyes. He was very handsome, looking more or less like a male version of the sister he had never known, who'd died melennia before he was even born....a sister Trey had loved deeply. Sharie wondered why Trey had never told Troy that Nikita he and Nikita had been lovers.  
  
Troy almost opened his mouth at once, ready to spill, but then noticed he wasn't alone with the Triesta siblings. He looked at the group, seeing the strangers, and hesitated.  
  
"It is all right," Trey told him gently. "This is Delphine, and that is Carlos. They are both Power Rangers, and can be trusted."  
  
"I did not doubt that. But this is private information. About your mother."  
  
Trey stiffened, and Sharie went pale.  
  
"Do you want me to leave?" Carlos whispered, concerned. Troy *had* said it was private, after all...  
  
"No!" said Sharie suddenly, before anyone else could respond. "I don't know about you, Trey, but I want Carlos here." She was grateful when her brother nodded an understanding, and also glanced at Delphine, squeezing her hand gently. "They will be staying, Troy. What news do you have?"  
  
Troy dropped his eyes and started to pace, hands behind his back and the wind blowing his short black hair every which way. "I do not know where to begin. There is the doubt what I have found out is true. But I could not hear such information and keep it to myself, not when it concerned my best friend to such an extent."  
  
"If you are concerned about my being upset with you if the information is false, get that idea out of your head," said Trey firmly. "I would never do that. What did you learn?"  
  
Dyson gave him a grateful glance before swallowing in a manner that said, "here goes." He drew in a deep breath. "I was on a nearby outpost, visiting a restaraunt. I was just about to order when the person behind the counter surprised me by being Dryseran."  
  
Everyone's eyes widened in surprise. Carlos could not help but ask, "I am surprised you would even allow a Dryseran into your sector, after what happened those years ago."  
  
Trey shook his head. "We cannot forbid individual Dryserans to keep out of Triforian space. Some of them are loners, who stay away from their plundering government, some are actually good people, unlike most of them. But after the war, I don't think many have been seen around my world."  
  
"Indeed not," said Troy. "The fellow seemed pleasant enough, I suppose. He looked familiar, but I could not place him right off. I about dropped when, after he served me, he sat across from me and started to talk in almost a frantic whisper." Troy turned red. Everyone eyed him questioningly. He steeled himself and went on.  
  
"He started to talk about Jeanette, how he had heard rumors about where she was, that she was being held prisoner in a one-person prison some distance from here, and had been held there for nearly twelve years. Of course, instead of wrangling his neck for saying something so cruel, I had to ask where the prison was. He said he could not say, for his government would get him if he told. Then, and I could not believe this, he hemmed and he hawed, and started dropping hints in casual conversation, his eyes imploring me to believe him. It was then that I believe I recognized him."  
  
Sharie set her mouth. Troy looked at nobody as he said, " I believe it was Dyson, Dark Dresden's sometimes-right-hand man."  
  
"Dyson was banished with Dark Dresden after the war," said Trey unnecessarily. He could not believe his ears.  
  
"Well, there he was. After he felt he had given me enough information, and before I could say anything, he walked back into the kitchen, and disappeared." Troy fumbled in his pocked, then pressed something into Trey's hand. "Here is what he said. Believing it or not is up to you, Trey, Sharie. I am not so sure I would."  
  
What Sharie said next caught everyone by surprise. "If it was Dyson, then I would trust his word."  
  
Trey turned on her, shock written across his features. "Are you feeling all right, Lalinka? Have you forgotten who Dyson was?"  
  
"He was the only real honest, good Dryseran I ever met. If it had not been for him, more than once, in fact, I would not be here now."  
  
Trey gaped at her, clearly wanting an explanation.  
  
****  
  
Sharie looked him in the eye. "What I say is quite true. Dyson hated Dark Dresden and what he forced him to do. By using subliminal subterfuge, he sabatoged quite a few schemes of his, and was subtly responsible for getting me into a position for my escape from him--both times." Looking at Carlos's confused expression, she elaborated, "In other words, he was quite the sneaky one. But he was honest, and I see no reason to doubt him now. I am also glad he survived that little episode from a couple of days ago."  
  
Trey looked at her a long moment, then sighed. "Then, if you say so, Lalinka, maybe it might be true, and our mother is alive after all. Now, what?"  
  
"What do you expect? Get together some kind of resistance force and go after her." Sharie stated what seemed to be obvious.  
  
Trey felt like he was going to faint. This seemed a little too good to be true, the source of what he had been searching for for so many years practically dropped into his lap. "And what if it is a wild goose-chase, Lalinka?" he asked softly. "What if I come back with nothing? Are you willing to get your hopes up?"  
  
Sharie went pale at his words, but not for the reason one would have thought. She straightened her spine and tightened her lips. "Hold on, back up, rewind that last statement, *brother dear*. 'I'? You intend to do this alone? Forget it. No way are you going to crash a Dryseran prison fortress solo!"  
  
Both Trey and Carlos were rather startled, the mere thought of it had sparked something within the girl, igniting a long-buried anger of a different nature.  
  
"If it involves our mother, I go too," she said through gritted teeth.  
  
"That is not what I meant, Lalinka," said Trey, staring at her. "You have been hurt too much by recent events enough as it is, for once, let me take the brunt of things, will you? After what happened a couple of days ago, especially, I don't think you could stand the heartache if this information proves to be false. I would much rather deal with it firsthand than you."  
  
"Not going won't spare me, Trey. Trust me, I have been through much worse in ways you could not imagine. Yes, it will hurt--what does not in our lives?--but I will live throught it, I always have. I am going, and that is final."  
  
He did not have to ask if she was certain, or if he could talk her out of it, her answers blazed in her eyes. He sighed in defeat, then nodded his head.  
  
"I hate to interject on this conversation," said Carlos in such a quiet tone that it startled both siblings. "I hate it even worse to butt in where techincally my nose does not belong, but I believe what I have to say has merit. Delphine and I have been talking about this just now, and we agree that neither of you should go alone, even if you both go. Delphine and I think you should have at least two more people accompany you--namely, us."  
  
Startled, Trey started to open his mouth to object, but shut it when Delphine held up her hand. "I agree with Carlos. I have heard of the Dryserans, and their fortresses, it is highly dangerous. Carlos and I wish to accompany you, but it would be even better if Rangers from his team or mine also went. The more who come, the better your chance."  
  
"We cannot ask that of you," objected Sharie. "This is too dangerous, not to mention highly personal. We are grateful for your offer, but..."  
  
"No buts, Querida," said Carlos, a bit sternly. "And please don't go formal on me like that, you know I don't like that. And please, don't think of this as so highly personal when it involves us, because it does. Delphine and I are so highly wrapped up in your lives that anything like this that involves you involves us also."  
  
Delphine spoke up then. "I love you, Trey, as Carlos has lost his heart to Sharie. It is the way of those in love, to go through hard time together. And should this mission fail, nothing would be more appropriate than to have us at your sides, to be there with you in your grief--or should it succeed, we can be there to celebrate your happiness."  
  
Sharie looked at them, tears in her purple eyes. She turned and glanced at her brother, raising an eyebrow. Moments passed as Carlos guessed that they were having a very fast, heart-to-heart telepathic conversation. His heart thudded in his ears as he waited, while Delphine remained carefully neutral.  
  
Finally, Sharie did turn her gaze back to them all, her eyes still misty. "You are right about one thing. You guys have our hearts in your keeping, and although we may not want it for you at times, you can feel pain when we do, and are perfectly willing to share our misery, to help us along. I cannot tell you how grateful we are for your caring, and we cannot *force* you not to come, since it looks like you are going to argue until we say yes. All we can say is that if there is any way at all we can dissasuade you, then let us do it."  
  
Carlos and Delphine barely glanced at each other, then back at the Zeo Duo before them.  
  
"There is none," said Delphine, conviction in her tone. "If you take no one else, let us come along. My team will understand, and so will Carlos's, I believe."  
  
"They will," said Carlos, coming over and putting his hands on Sharie's arms. "Besides, our next mission is boring, routine scanning. I doubt if they will need me for the next few days."  
  
"Oh, Carlos," murmured Sharie as he drew her in for a hug. "I don't deserve somone like you, truly. You deserve someone much better than somebody who has the ghosts of her past constantly popping up and haunting her when she would much rather have them remain in the past, and interfering with our lives."  
  
"Just the opposite, Querida," he murmured, kissing her forehead. "I wonder how I could ever possibly find someone as wonderful as you. You are everything I ever wanted in someone I wanted to love, and so much more. You just don't realize it."  
  
****  
  
All this time, Troy had been watching the whole affair in silence. Finally, he spoke up when everyone else grew quiet as well. "Then, if this is settled, may I wish you luck and say good-bye."  
  
Trey came over to him and gripped his hand. "Thank you, my friend. I cannot tell you how grateful we are for your help, and it most certainly will never be forgotten." His dark eyes did not belile the statement as they glittered with a warm light to his best friend.  
  
Troy returned the sentiment. "It makes me feel good that I am able to help someone, and I hope this mission succeeds." He gave them all a small smile and, with his blue eyes twinkling, he vanished in a swirl of white light.  
  
****  
  
Once they had recollected themselves, they had to sit and think through what they had to do. "Strategy session," Carlos mumbled as they sat around one of the picnic tables near the beach. "How do we begin? I cannot get loan of the Astro Megaship, and Andros will be using the Delta Megaship also. So that is out of the question as well."  
  
"My battlezord may be of little use as well," mused Delphine. "It is said that the Dryserans are fond of using an alloy in their buildings that can instantly rust my zord."  
  
"The Dryserans would definetly know the Pyramidas inside out, after what has happened," said Trey glumly. " And it is not in shipshape condition. Any takes, Lalinka?"  
  
"My Sphinx Ultrazord is pretty much useless at the moment, since it sustained such heavy damage during the Dryseran onslaught of Earth. And considering Dryseran technology, we will need zords they would not expect, with a power level capeable of handling a Dryseran attack. I believe I have two such zords."  
  
Carlos outright gaped at her. "*How* many zords do you have, Querida?" he asked. "I have seen at least three. Do you have one for every occassion or something?"  
  
"Maybe, I do not know that answer as yet. I cannot reveal the number or the nature of some of my zords, because...well, it is too dangerous. Should they be discovered and fall into the wrong hands, it will spell disaster. One of these such zords could take on an entire galaxy...and win." She turned pale. "And I should not have even mentioned that. Never, ever reveal that to anybody."  
  
She straightened. "The Zords I have in mind are quite powerful, nonetheless. Since they are run by Zeo Power, Trey, you will have to pilot the other one after I authorize control. I want you to take temporary control of the Thunder-Bobcat megazord. It is currently in Thunder- megaship mode, but it can also transform into an excellent, quite-powerful fighting machine for hand-to-hand combat. It is a very powerful and mighty weapon, and also has an Ultrazord mode for worst-case scenarios."  
  
"And the other one?" asked Trey, his eyebrows raised.  
  
"I will have control of the Hurricane-Mountain Lion Ultrazord. It is also quite powerful, with several settings and fighting modes. Both zords are in cloak right now, they are in a hidden valley not far from Angel Grove. If you wish to go there and see them, I can show you what they do."  
  
****  
  
They materialized in a beautiful valley, well-hidden from the prying eyes of the outside world, the perfect place to keep Zords, or Megaships.  
  
"Where are they?" asked Carlos, looking around and seeing nothing.  
  
"Right in front of you. I have called them up from their hiding spot, and they are cloaked and ready." She smiled. "Zeo cloaking sequence three, deactivate!"  
  
Carlos suddnely felt a dull roar buzz his ears and gave him the feeling of his brain buzzing, while the air around them shimmered for a few seconds. Then, out of nowhere, came the magnificent forms of two enormous ships, obviously even more powerful than the Astro-Delta megazord that Trey had used to defeat the enemy the first time he had helped the Astro Rangers.  
  
Carlos's jaw had been slightly ajar, staring at the wonders of this. And Sharie had referred to these as lesser powerful zords of her arsenal? He wondered what was so dangerous about the others she never dared used them, or expose others to the knowledge of their very existence, when just one machine could eradicate all evil once and for all?  
  
"Let me show you what they can do," she murmured, smiling. "Thunder-Bobcat animal mode, now!" she called.  
  
Trey watched in sheer amazement as the huge ship he was to control began to change shape, taking on the form of an animal body, growing a head, powerfully massive legs, and an equally powerful tail. Thunder-and- lightning designs decorated it's back, and within the black depths of it's eyes showed golden dagger-like lightning bolts. It let out a mighty bellow, it's claws scratching the earth, as if impatient to do some real action.  
  
"Thunder-bobcat Megaship battle mode!" Sharie cried. The big cat in front of them rose on it's hind legs, where it straightened up, it's tail vanished, and various other things appeared and disappeared. The cat's face vanished, to be replaced by a typcal zord face, and the body reassembled to form a massive fighting Megazord of notable strength, complete with a shield and Power Sword.  
  
Trey's eyes were like saucers. "And you want me to *control* this, Sharie?"  
  
"Yes, Trey, but do not worry, because when I transfer control, the knowledge to use this zord will also be transferred." She turned to Delphine and Carlos, who could not tear their eyes from what they had just seen. "I will also, with your permission, of course, do a knowlede infusion so that, in case of extreme emergency, you two will have the authority and knowledge to hot-wire the zords and pilot them yourselves. I say hot-wire because they do not usually respond to non-Zeo influence. Nobody is to know that it is even possible, I discovered it by accident myself."  
  
Carlos nodded along with Delphine, still a bit shaken at the idea of controlling one of those zords, a feeling remeniscent of when he had first become the Green Turbo Ranger. "When do we begin?" he asked.  
  
"Tomorrow morning, early. Delphine, there are no rehydrators of any kind on these ships, you will have to make do with the showers in the living quarters, I am afraid."  
  
"It is no different than the other times I have had to rehydrate outside of Aquitar," she answered. "I will do fine."  
  
****  
  
Jeanette snapped awake suddenly. She glanced out the window, it was still dark, with barely a glow in the east. She rarely awoke this early, sleep helped to fill her lonely days..but for some reason, an unknown giddy feeling and a crowd of butterflies in her stomach were preventing her from sleeping further. With a sigh, she got up, tossed off her nightgown, and flung on a robe over her willowy figure, going into her bathroom to shower. It would, she mused, do one of two things: make her sleepy so she could go back to bed, or wake her up further and focus her mind so she could think.  
  
*Which I cannot seem to do much of right now,* she thought, almost incoherently, arm-wrestling her long, thick, very golden hair from it's shimmering, waist-length ringlets into a topknot on top of her head.  
  
After she had showered, her mind became clear, granting her the mercy of thought.  
  
*About what?* she asked herself. What on Triforia's name was making her feel like a six-year-old? Was it because of what Dyson had told her, that if his plan worked, she could go home at last? Finally see her precious children? Get on with her life? She was only 23,000 years old, she still had over half a lifetime to live. Her son was grown. And Sharie...well, if she had indeed grown up on Earth, like Dyson had said, she would be considered nearly an adult there, as well.  
  
Why Earth, of all places? Jeanette got up and began pacing her prison. Earth was so backwards, it's people both good and evil, so she had heard. Would she want her little girl growing up there? Probably not. Then again...Zordon lived there, more or less. H had placed his trust in the planet, and Jeanette, like everyone who knew the ancient sage, trusted and admired his judgement. Perhaps Sharie had also grown up under his guidance, if she had sought him out. And, after all, she *had* grown up, and she still had the power, and was using it for good purposes, and with her brother at her side where he belonged.  
  
Jeanette felt herself nearly choke as she thought again of the agony those two must have endured, being seperated for so long. Sharie must have looked and acted so strange to him. If she had been older, it would not have mattered so much, she would have retained most of her Triforian values. But no, she had been a child, a tiny child, small for her age and still desperately needed a parent's love and guidance to show her the way, for all her adult mind and brains, and mental talent. But she had had to grow up and depend on the guidance of humans, so she had had to adapt and live like a human until she was old enough to care for herself, and by now was probably fully assimilated into the human world...  
  
With an effort, Jeanette shook herself out of her trance. Her daughter had grown up, and that was what was important. And now she was with her brother as well, and that is what mattered...  
  
Shaking, Jeanette turned to the window, where the sun was now halfway up the horizon. *Why do I feel so giddy, like I was drunk?* She thought desperately. *I wish I knew, I really, really wish I knew...*  
  
****  
  
"Gosh, it's *early,*" mumbled Carlos sleepily as he stumbled onto the bridge of the Hurricane-Mountain Lion Ultrazord the next morning. "What do we do now, to take my mind off sleep?"  
  
Delphine was already there, and Sharie was typing furiously into a nearby console, Carlos noticed she had a comm system open.  
  
"I have to explain this to Aunt Marisha and Uncle Marek," she sighed. "And they are not happy. Not that they don't want me to find my mother, but they think that I do not need to go through this right now. They are insisting on coming aboard so they can talk to me. I see no way around it."  
  
Carlos knew there was no way to talk Sharie out of what they planned to do, so he said nothing as a teleportation beam shimmered and four figures, two tall and two smallish, formed in front of them.  
  
Sharie had turned, arms crossed and a resolute look on her face. Marisha, as soon as the beam had released her, immediately strode over and placed her hands on Sharie's shoulders, her golden eyes looking down into Sharie's purple ones.  
  
She opened her mouth, then shut it, then tried again, drawing a deep breath. "I know we cannot talk you out of this, Sharie. Just please understand our feelings on this matter. We cannot bear to see you hurt, especially with whom you are dealing with and what happened just days ago. It nearly broke you, and I don't want this mission to be the straw that broke the camel's back."  
  
Before Sharie could venture a reply, her uncle Marek, whom she also adored, spoke up also. "I know how important this is to you, Sharie. I admire your willingless to go after your mother and help her, and forgive her after all that has happened. Just--be careful, okay?"  
  
Tears burned the back of her eyes despite herself. She did not blame them for their feelings, they cared about her and loved her, and they held a very special place in her heart. She returned their fierce hug, grateful for their concern and support. The twins Toby and Tami wedged themselves in somehow, silently showing their support. Being deaf, it was their way of loudly agreeing.  
  
Delphine could not help but smile at such fierce family unity. She could see now where Sharie had picked up some of her mannerisms from, and they seemed like good people.  
  
The twins unwedged themselves from the others and looked around, frankely curious. Their golden eyes glittered brightly, for they had never seen this particular Zord before. She wondered if they had ever seen an alien besides Trey before, either.  
  
Sharie had said they were deaf, and understood the use of telepathy and the Universal sign language. She was now glad of the lessons Corcus had suggested she take for just this purpose as she quickly signed a greeting. She smiled at the look of delight on their faces. Within seconds, they were chattering away like magpies while Sharie and Trey held a private discussion with Marek and Marisha.  
  
"Okay, then," said Marek, hugging Sharie once more and shaking Trey's hand. "Just be careful then. We hope to see you again soon...in one piece, if you please."  
  
Sharie giggled as she hugged her Aunt goodbye, then was nearly bowled over as the twins flung their slender frames into her arms. She hugged and kissed them goodbye, and waved as they stood back with their parents. Just before they shimmered out of existence, she was amused to see them quickly make the traditional Aquitian gesture of good-bye to Delphine. She smiled, and her return gesture was the last thing they saw.  
  
****  
  
"So, how do we begin?" asked Carlos, much more awake this time.  
  
Sharie shot Trey a glance, he dug in his pocket and handed her the slip of paper Troy had given him. "I hope you have a better chance of making sense of it than I could, Lallinka," he sighed. She nodded her head, smiling slightly.She had not as yet read it, so she unfolded it and read aloud the first passage.  
  
"..."I cannot say why a prison would be placed in the Ceti Alpha galaxy anyway, and he said..."  
  
She looked up, her eyebrows raised high. "The 'Ceti Alpha Galaxy'? Which one? There are four of them--Ceti Alpha Galaxies I-IV! It would take *ages* to thoroughly search each one."  
  
"Read on," said Trey. Sharie sighed and reluctantly read aloud the next line. "...So I said, put two and two together and figure it out, like you do that galaxy..."  
  
She sighed and looked at Trey skeptically. "'Put two and two together?' 'Your own galaxy'..." Her eyes widened. "You know, that does make sense. Two and two together, and your own galaxy....it *could* mean Ceti Alpha IV..."  
  
"You know, I think you may be right," spoke up Carlos. "It does make sense."  
  
Trey grimaced. "I have never been to that particular galaxy, and the rest of the list, I think, hints at details within the galaxy I would be unfamiliar with. Trey, Sharie, have you ever been to Ceti Alpha IV?"  
  
Delphine shook her head as Sharie nodded--slowly. "Once, I have been there. I helped a small moon civilization beat off invaders a few yars ago, since they had no planetary defense team. Before I left, I helped them set up one by showing them how to use their planet's distron crystals to access the Morphin Grid. The new team, called the Unity Force Rangers, were building new zords when I left. I would always be welcome there, the Lord High Emperor of the Moon would be glad to give directions."  
  
Trey smiled in relief. "That is great," he said. "For I know nothing of the place. We will need plenty of directions, I can tell you right now."  
  
"I propose we leave at once to find out if these 'suggestions' have any more merit," said Sharie, rapidly reading the list for future refrence and passing it on to Carlos and Delphine to look over for themselves. "The sooner we know the truth, the better I will feel."  
  
****  
  
Jeanette did not cease her restless pacing, even when the current guards opened the door to check on her. She ignored them. They shrugged their shoulders and shut the door, dismissing it as the constant cravings of movement one would recieve after nearly twelve years of imprisonment.  
  
****  
  
"Glad I could help, Miss Triesta. It is the least we could do after your assistance in helping our world."  
  
"Thank you, your majesty," said Sharie, bowing slightly. "The information you have provided us with will help a great deal. Good-bye, and once again, thank you."  
  
The regal figure on the screen bowed also before saying, "Goodbye, Sharie, Princess of Triforia, and Trey, Lord of Triforia. Until we meet again." He vanished.  
  
Trey spoke over the lingering silence. "Well, that was...interesting," he managed. "Notice how much more....regal and high-and-mighty he became upon learning our ranks?"  
  
Carlos laughed outright, and Delphine smiled indulgantly. "He started acting with all the nobility he could muster," said Carlos through his laughter, "He felt he had to do it to address his apparent equals in rank. How so like an Earth man!"  
  
Sharie also laughed softly, but she had to remind him, "It is what they are used to. His world is totalitarian, but fair, his people do not suffer in any way, and are content. It is just that the royal families rule all around here. And since his people are content, they see little reason to change."  
  
Now Carlos looked surprised. "You would think they would never have heard of personal freedoms."  
  
"They have it on a limited basis. On a local scale, they can sway things to a better favor. And their personal opinions do matter to the ruling person. It might not seem enough, but I can do nothing about it. And at least they were able to give us a bit of information we may need."  
  
"I am glad Emperor Lerion mentioned the Dryseran presence in this galaxy," said Trey soberly. "It bodes well in our favor."  
  
He held the list, Delphine leaned over him and read it aloud over his shoulder. "...And I said, 'how can you put it there, right next to a system with six suns?' and of course, he had to reply..."  
  
Sharie had already brought up a map of the galaxy. "Highlighting the six- sun systems," she said softly, her fingers dancing over the controls.  
  
A moment later, she had isolated, out of the billions of systems within the galaxy, sixty-three systems.  
  
"Too many," said Carlos. "That would take days to cover inch-by-inch. Which ones are under Dryseran influence?"  
  
The screen switched to twenty-seven systems.  
  
Trey jumped in then. "Which ones of those have single-sun systems within closest proximity to them?"  
  
Fourteen still flashed.  
  
"And they are all very far apart," mused Delphine. Sharie heard that and, having memorized the list, recited the next clue aloud.  
  
"...But how could you also set up a dilithium mine there? I asked him. He started to get mad, and said..."  
  
She stopped, wondering. "Dilithium mines? Are they still using that old- fashioned method of travel? It is so slow--a ship powered on Dilithium would take nearly a year to cross from one end of the galaxy to the other. It only took us a couple of hours to come here from the Milky Way galaxy."  
  
Still, she punched the information into her computer.  
  
"I know it is impractical," said Trey. "But is is still useful for brief interstellar travel between nearby solar systems." He stopped, his eyes growing wide as only two lights now flashed on the screen. "Oh my goodness..."  
  
And they were on opposite ends of the galaxy. Sharie groaned.  
  
Carlos did not look happy either. "Eenie, meenie, miney, mo..." he muttered under his breath, to no one in particular.  
  
"What was that?" asked Sharie, turning toward him. She was not amused.  
  
"Sorry, just a random thought," he replied, blushing. "But can you blame me?"  
  
She looked at him a moment, then shook her head. Carlos now held the list, and, to not appear all bad, looked at it again.  
  
All it said was, "Second star to the right, and straight on till morning."  
  
Everyone stared at each other, the words suddenly making perfect sense. It was Carlos who broke the heavy, emotional silence.  
  
"We have a rescue to perform, right? Let's get going."  
  
****  
  
The two ships stopped, cloaked, about half a light-year from the supposed dilithium mine. As thoroughly as possible, they would search the area.  
  
Sharie was setting up the sensors to detect dilithium crystals, lifesigns, and weapons systems. She was trying very hard to not let her whirling emotions affect her, while she was on the verge of success, but still, she had difficulty. When at last, the sensors were set, she sighed and sagged in her seat. Now she was grateful for Carlos's presence as he came up to her, hugging her from behind in a comforting way. He was much faster at picking up telepathy toward a telepathic person than she had thought, for she sensed, faintly, a *Will you be all right, Querida?* coming from him, and a look of concentration on his face.  
  
*Very good, Carlos. You pick it up fast for telepaths. Maybe sometime you will be able to do it with non-telepaths as well. Yes, I will be okay. And...thanks."  
  
He smiled and kissed the top of her head, hugging her shoulders lightly before letting go. She straightened her back and tugged on the shirt of her black, violet, and gold tunic. For once, she was dressed in Triforian style, and Carlos could not help but admire it. The shirt was tucked into a short skirt of the same colors, which were over form-fitting, spandex- like pants underneath. Even the Mark of Triforia, which every Triforian was born with, was visible on her face as a golden streak above her left eye and extending onto her upper cheekbone.  
  
It felt like a long-lost feeling, but still, when she looked into a mirror, she squirmed slightly, simply not used to it yet. She was beginning to wonder if Triforia would ever really be home again, like Earth was in her heart.  
  
"I am getting some results," she said, manipulating the controls. "Scanning for Dilithium mine...results...positive. Checking for Dryseran presence....four Dryserans present on base or in orbit of third planet."  
  
"Is there a fortress of some sort, or anything to indicate a prison?" asked Trey weakly, trying not to hold his breath.  
  
Sharie checked the controls, her face going pale. "Yes...on the planet's surface. There is a fortress, heavily protected by dampening fields, booby- traps, two more Dryserans...and much more."  
  
"Are there any other lifesigns?" asked Trey, a heaviness gripping his chest. He was grateful Delphine was beside him and hugging him, for this question would reveal the complete truth.  
  
Sharie took a deep breath and willed herself to look down. "Y-yes...I am picking up one more lifesign....female, Trif-Triforian in origon." She could speak no more, her body was frozen. Only two lone tears stole down her face and showed her distress.  
  
Carlos gathered her to him, and held her for several minutes as she absorbed the information into her tired, disbelieving mind.  
  
****  
  
Jeanette glanced out the window for the umpteenth time that day. As it had wore on, she had grown more and more restless. Every pore of her body screamed at her to get out...move around...something was going to happen!  
  
*But what?* she asked herself again and again as she desperately tried to find something to do to steady her nerves. She was too restless to read, or watch movies from the database. Sleep eluded her. Even excercise failed to calm her down or at least make her tired. HEr body was poised and ready for an adreanline rush. All it needed was a signal.  
  
****  
  
Dyson examined his personal scanner, reading the Zeo trails he had picked up with old information gathered from Dark Dresden's reign of terror on Triforia. They were out there, the Zeo duo. They had gotten his 'messages' all right, he thought gratefully. He would try to make it as easy for them as possible to rescue their mother, but they would still have a tough time of it. He prayed that they would succeed. For if they attacked, all hell would break loose.  
  
****  
  
Carlos sat, staring at the screen. Complete silence resounded over the whole bridgen as everyone, somewhat recovered, contemplated what to do.  
  
"Sooo...." he said at last. "What would work best? A direct attack or a sneak-up?"  
  
Sharie, to everyone's surprise, spoke up before anyone else could. "I suggest we disable the mine and processing plant first," she mused, looking through everyone else as she stared at the viewscreen. "Knock out as many Dryserans as possible. *Then* we can take on the fort."  
  
"But how?" asked Delphine. She was staring at the readouts. "The place looks impenetrable. Maybe we should sneak in."  
  
"It is not logical," Sharie responded patiently, almost woodenly. "A direct attack is better. Getting to the main Power Supply aboard the processing plant in orbit will be easy if we *don't* use the sneaking method. Their sensors operate on several frequencies at once, and over a very wide range. They might detect us slipping through and attack us before we could even raise our shields. The direct approach is safer in the long run. I have a plan." For the first time, she turned around and looked the others in the eyes. They put their heads together and quietly discussed strategy for several minutes.  
  
"Okay," said Sharie at last. "Do you understand?"  
  
They nodded their heads and set out. Trey took Delphine's hand and teleported over to the Thunder-Bobcat Megaship. Trey held his wrist to the activation scanner, letting it read the presence of his Zeo Morpher.  
  
It beeped, indicating he was allowed on the bridge. The doors hissed open, and, Delphine's hand still in his, he stepped onto the bridge.  
  
"Welcome, Trey, Gold Zeo Ranger, and Delphine, White Aquitian Ranger." said the sugary-sounding voice of the ship's computer. "Sharie Triesta has given authorization for Trey Triesta to pilot this ship, and Delphine authorization to co-pilot, and pilot in emergency. I am Zelpha, the ship's computer."  
  
*The ship's *sentient* computer,* thought Trey in amusement, remembering DECA. "Thank you, Zelpha," he said instead, glancing at Delphine. She smiled and shook her head, also amused.  
  
"Is there anything you require?" asked Zelpha politely. "Just ask me any question, and I will be able to answer it." Her tone remained consistently polite, as if eager to please. Trey wondered if she shared DECA's smart- alek sense of humor.  
  
"Not now, thanks anyway, Zelpha," Trey said, his tone still amused. "Delphine and I will take a quick look around, then set up a piloting sequence."  
  
"Would you like a tour?" she suggested. "You would be able to find your way around much easier that way."  
  
"No thanks, Zelpha. Sharie used a power transfer when giving me control of this ship. I know how to pilot her, thanks."  
  
"Understood." Zelpha finally fell silent. Trey could feel his ribs shaking with laughter he tried to suppress. If the ship's computer was as sentient as he thought, then he might very well hurt her feelings by laughing at her...and if she was anything like DECA, she could very well pay him back for it.  
  
****  
  
Though still jumpy, Jeanette finally tired of her incessant pacing. She flopped down on a couch to rest, not caring as her golden curls fell into her face. She curled her knees to her chest and laid her head on her arms, trying to relax and will her heart into a more normal rhythm.  
  
Her mind still raced, but settled on an unplesant reminder she often tried to forget. The diary manuscript she had written shortly after she had been forced to send her daughter away for her own safety. She had written it hoping that it would ease some of the aching burden in her heart, and help her deal more easily with it, and with the fact her son was, at the time, just a short ways from suicidal.  
  
And then, she had destroyed it, not wanting the written reminder to linger. Still, having a typical Triforian's photographic memory, she recalled precisely every passage ever written.  
  
*My child, my Sharie, one day, I hope to see you again. I cannot tell you of the burden losing you has placed upon my heart, in my soul. I cry at night, the tears seeping down my face and into my pillow, knowing quite possibly, I have lost you and your sweet warmth forevermore. If this war gets over with soon enough, I may be able to trace your wherabouts before you get too far. I will have to let my son know as soon as the war is over, and if he can forgive me enough, we can look for you together.  
  
*My son, my Trey, if you ever learn of my deed, I pray to any listening spirit that you can find it in your heart to forgive me. You do not know what anguish this is causing me, watching you fall deep into the depths of despair and your own private hell of guilt and pain, watching you lose weight and seeing the horrifying torment in your eyes, knowing that you cannot even find the solace of tears. I have overheard some of your thoughts without meaning to, I know that sometimes you yearn to take your Power Staff's destructive powers and use it on yourself. I am grateful that it is your strong sense of duty and self that prevents you from doing that. How I pray that we can all be reunited again one day.  
  
*My children, please, please forgive me for what I have done! How can I assure you what I have had to do came from the very deepest depths of love a person can posess? How can I make you understand that there was no other way to give Sharie a chance at life, since otherwise her death was certain? How can I tell you, oh *how*?*  
  
Tears filled her eyes again, but they did not fall. Jeanette was too uptight for that. So she rocked, and waited, and endlessly rocked to the rhythm of an inner turmoil surely only she understood.  
  
"Ready to 'rock 'n roll' as you would put it, Lalinka?" asked Trey over the comm system. He was seated at the helm of the bridge, poised for action. Delphine was right beside him in the other seat, ready with the backup systems and damage control.  
  
"Ready, Trey." Sharie sounded amused. "You can do the rolling as you do the blasting, because as soon as you get their attention, your ship is going to be rocking--with weapons fire. Let's do it."  
  
"Right." The Thunder-Bobcat Megaship took off, getting as close to enemy lines as he dared. Trey's fingers flew over the console as the ship decloaked suddenly, swept down close by the mining-processing plant, and began to fire.  
  
Of course, he knew that these parts were so heavily and sturdily built (due to the dangerous mining and processing operation) that they could withstand a lot of damage without ah hitch. So essentially, what he was doing with all his weapons fire was nothing more than an itch to their systems, and he intended to make them scratch.  
  
Sharie had been right, however, about their reaction. They decided to take care of the itch by eliminating the irritating cause. Machine-controlled Dryseran aircraft took off from the place and attacked him with an unrelenting vengence.  
  
Trey gripped the console tightly as the bridge rocked violently under the stress of the weapons fire.  
  
"Shields are holding," called Delphine over the noise. "Their weapons fire is not penetrating our defenses." She gripped her own console as the bridge rocked again from the blasts, otherwise she would have flown across the room.  
  
"You know how annoying itches are, Delphine?" asked Trey as he reset the controls. She nodded quickly. "Well," he continued. "They are about to get one that will drive them completely crazy."  
  
He looked almost wicked as, with one press of a button, he sent another volley of fire at non-essential systems on the mining plant and on the enemy crafts. It drove them into a frenzy as they doubled their fire on the Thunder-Bobcat Megaship. One return blast rocked the bridge so violently and so quickly, Delphine lost her grip and was sent flying out of her seat, tumbling to the floor and rolling to a stop on the opposite wall.  
  
"You okay, Delphine?" came Trey's concerned voice as she moved, biting back a moan of pain, located squarely in her backside.  
  
The ship was rocking so hard she was forced to crawl back to her seat, her hindquarters protesting all the way. "I am okay," she mused, crawling back into her chair and yelping in pain. The discomfort eased as she switched her center of balance to her hips, a sort of sitting-leaning posture in your chair.  
  
"I hope you did not break your tailbone," said Trey, his fingers dancing over the console. "It would take a few days for that to heal."  
  
"I don't think I broke it," she mused, squirming uncomfortably. "But I probably bruised it. Why do zords never have some form of safety harness?"  
  
"Makes for easy bail-out, probably," he said, letting go another volley of fire. "Okay, Lalinka, it is your turn. Do your stuff," he said aloud.  
  
****  
  
Sharie had been waiting for this moment. The Dryserans and the fighters were easily distracted, almost as if their lives were so boring they welcomed the chance to destroy. She smiled, intending to be the itch impossible to scratch.  
  
She snuck through enemy lines as slowly and carefully as she could, desperate to not be detected.  
  
"Ready, Carlos?" she asked her boyfriend, unable to quite hide her amusement.  
  
"Ready, Querida. Let's see the action," he grinned at her.  
  
As soon as she got close enough, she decloaked. Her finger was already on the fire button, all she had to do was press it.  
  
She did.  
  
With a single shot, over undefended systems, she knocked out the entire power supply to their weapons and most major systems. The Dryseran base was left almost entirely without power.  
  
The Dryserans on the orbiting base were beyond furious. With the automated fighters already there, with independent systems, they got into their own fighters and attacked.  
  
The fierce battle that followed was quite rapid. Shots were fired so brightly and so quickly that the battlefield looked like a sun itself, the blasts radiated such energy, heat, and light. Fireworks could not have been more dazzling.  
  
There was heavy damage sustained, but not on the side of good. The warships of the enemy soon became so badly damaged that, one by one, they imploded, the ships giving way in fierce balls of light that looked like miniature supernovas, lighting up the sky with a blinding intensity, and their pilots, living or automated, fell victim to their ship's own damage or the terrifying vaccuum of space.  
  
When the fighting was over, Sharie let out a long breath. She had not realized she had been holding it. She glanced over at Carlos, who was grinning at her broadly. He lifted his hand in a high-five gesture, and she impulsively reached up and clapped her hand against his in the universal gesture that meant, "success!!"  
  
Sobering slightly, she then switched on the comm system. "Well done, guys!" she called into it. "You in one piece over there?"  
  
"We are a little sore," said Trey, and Sharie could hear him trying to suppress a snicker. "But we are alive. Great job, Lalinka! We did it!"  
  
****  
  
Jeanette was startled as the light outside one of her prison windows suddenly became momentarily brighter, once, twice, then more. Curious, she stopped rocking and got up, wandering over to the window. She glanced outside just in time to see another bright flash.  
  
Having been a power ranger for so many mellennia, she recoginized the sight at once. They were exploding ships! Gods, the station in orbit was being attacked!  
  
Her heart racing, she sat down hard onto the window seat, thinking. Was this how her life was going to end, an unknown victim of an invasion? Especially if this prison fortress was next.  
  
She could not dare to hope that her own salvation, her own rescue, was at hand. The thought was simply too tempting, and too impossibly cruel.  
  
****  
  
Now that the orbiting processing plant was out of the way, the group gathered once more on the bridge of the Hurricane-Mountain Lion megaship to discuss things further.  
  
Sharie brought up what the sensors had recorded about the fortress on the surgace. Being a prison fortress, it was unusually well-built, even for a Dryseran building. There were numerous dampening fields in place to prevent teleportation, and several booby-traps, crude and sophisticated. It was like an iron cage, seemingly impossible to get into.  
  
Carlos was studying the readouts. "That huge fortress has just one prisoner?" he could not help but ask. "Why? It looks like it could hold hundreds of people without a hitch. And yet it sits out here, all alone."  
  
Sharie gave him a slightly pained look. "That is the purpose," she said softly. "It is a subtle method of torture. At least in most prisons, the prisoners get to see and talk to other prisoners daily. This one has the design of a prison to make the prisoner feel small and alone, completely worthless on the scale of things, and full of despair. I have seen them before."  
  
"Dryserans use money, at least on an intergalactic scale, don't they?" asked Carlos, hoping he was not pressing his luck. "Why go to all that expense for just one prisoner."  
  
"Dark Dresden was a powerful man," said Sharie softly, her eyes going blank on them. "If it could get him what he wanted, or extracted such revenge as he desired, he could do it. You are right, Carlos, even for the Dryserans, this fortress would have been an expensive feat--hence the dilithium mine and processing plant also here," she said softly. "If any of Dark Dresden's family is left alive, they probably are still paying off a debt for the building of this place."  
  
"Any ideas, then?" asked Carlos, seeing her reaction and hoping to quickly change the subject.  
  
Sharie studied the readouts for a moment. She motioned Trey over and they whispered for a moment, discussing everything.  
  
Finally, they seperated. "I have one idea," said Sharie. "It is dangerous, and most of it will take sheer luck and circumstance. The dampening fields around the edge of the fortress are the weakest. If we persistently fire, concentrating all our blasts on just one weak dampening field, we might be able to lower it briefly enough for us to teleport through. But it will raise behind us. Once we are on the surface, we will be entirely on our own. Our only other advantage is we will still have communication systems, and can call on our zords for assistance. Our main objective, though, will be to dodge the two Dryseran guards still present, the numerous fighting robots I am sure are there, find our mother and get her out unharmed."  
  
Carlos and Delphine looked at each other. They nodded at the same time.  
  
"Then let us proceed," said Delphine. "I am willing to try this if you are."  
  
Sharie glanced at her brother, he also nodded. "Let's do it, Lalinka," he said softly, and for the first time, she could see the real hope in his eyes. She raised her wrists and crossed them. Delphine mirrored the action, while Carlos flipped open his morpher.  
  
"It's Morphin' Time!"  
  
"Let's Rocket!"  
  
The power from the Morphin Grid flooded their bodies, accessed by their various morphers and powers. In four flares of light, their civilian clothing disappeared, and was replaced by their ranger costumes and helmets.  
  
Without another word, Sharie set her controls, and directed her most powerful blasts to a small, concentrated section on the Fortress surface. She had to blast with superconcentrated energy three times before her sensors indicated a break in the dampening field.  
  
"Let's go," she said. In four swirls of colors, they vanished.  
  
****  
  
Dyson clutched his console as the room rocked under the intensity of the fire. Obligingly seeing where the fire was concentrated, he induced a little sabatoge so the shield lowered for a few minutes. He smiled as four telportation signatures could be sensed--two Zeo, one of Lightstar Ranger origon, and one he was unfamiliar with.  
  
*Jeanette, my friend,* he thought, a smile curving his lips. *Your nightmare is about over.*  
  
****  
  
Jeanette yelped in surprise as the violent rocking caught her by surprise. She tumbled off the windowseat as her prison shook, causing her to land with a painful *thud*.  
  
Grimacing in pain, she stumbled over to her bed to huddle upon it.  
  
*What is happening?* she thought frantically.  
  
The shaking stopped as suddenly as it had begun. Nothing looked different than it had been, but every pore and fiber in her body was screaming danger signals, to get out before the upcoming danger engulfed her....  
  
****  
  
The group of rangers crept silently down the hallway, every muscle in their bodies taut as they were on alert, jumping at every sound.  
  
Anytime, they knew, they could encounter booby traps.  
  
Indeed, Sharie was the only one to hear a soft *click*. Pure instinct made her fling herself at her brother, sending them both crashing to the floor and against the wall, just as several small darts came out of nowhere, hitting the wall above them.  
  
"Goodness," Trey lay on the floor for a moment, holding onto his sister and gasping for breath. "That was....quick, Lalinka, thanks."  
  
"Are you okay, Trey?" she asked, helping her dazed brother to his feet. "I landed on you kind of hard."  
  
She could hear the smile in his voice. "Not that hard, Lalinka. You don't weigh enough to use your weight alone. You would have had to put considerable force behind throwing your body weight to hurt me--though considering your skills, there is no dobut in my mind you could do it. However, I have no wish to test that hypothesis, so let's get going."  
  
Behind her own helmet, Sharie smiled, and she could hear Carlos snicker softly.  
  
Despite all their searching, they could not find any way into the heart of the fortress. Sharie, usually the patient one, was the first to get restless.  
  
"If we are to get in there at all, we need to stir things up a little," she mused. "Trey, I suggest we use the zords to do a little damage to the place."  
  
"I agree, Lalinka," he said, sounding amused. "Thunder-Bobcat animal mode, now!"  
  
"Hurricane-Mountain Lion animla mode, now!" called Sharie into her communicator.  
  
Instantly, the two ships still in orbit began to change, growing tails and taking on the epitome of the animals they represented. Roaring, they raced down to the surface, and, lumbering along so forcefully the ground shook, they flung themselves at the fortress from the outside, tearing into it for all they were worth. It was so well-built that they had some difficulty, but little by little, they made slow progress.  
  
****  
  
The violent shaking of the compound began again. Jeanette huddled on the bed as things fell down and crashed all around her. Quietly, she prayed that if death was intended for her, it would come so quickly she would not even realize it.  
  
She was rather startled when she heard the telltale buzzing sound of her prison door being opened. She was even more surprised when Dyson stumbled in, clutching the doorframe for support.  
  
"Jeanette!" he gasped, stumbling over to the bed and clutching her hand. She was a little dazed as he grabbed her and started pulling her toward the door. "Dyson! What are you doing?" she gasped as the floor rocked beneath her feet.  
  
"Now is your chance, Jeanette!" he panted. "You must flee while you have the chance! We are being invaded, and they are destroying this place. Get out, while you have your neck on your shoulders."  
  
p"But Dyson..." she started to protest, not wanting him left here to die.  
  
"No buts! Do as I say or you could be killed! Go! Now! And good luck!"  
  
"What about you?" she protested angrily. "I won't leave you here to die, Dyson!"  
  
"I'll survive, Jeanette, I always have. Don't worry about me. Now go!"  
  
She gave him one last, pleading look, and he could no longer stand the anguish on her face. He turned her around quickly and pushed her out the door of her prison for the first time in almost twelve years. "Goodbye, Jeanette. If you survive this, it will not be the last time you see me, I promise! Now flee this horrid place!"  
  
"Godspeed, Dyson," she choked after him. "You will always be welcome on Triforia, and will always be my friend!" She could not bear to bring herself to look behind her as she turned on her heel and sped down the hall, tears misting her eyes and nearly blinding her vision.  
  
****  
  
Back out on the surface, things went from chaotic to absolutely crazy. Sharie and the rest of the group had managed to find an exit outdoors, (although not further inward like they had hoped) and found that robots, in giant zords of their own, of sorts, were gaining on their Zords to pick a fight.  
  
"We can go after them," panted Delphine as she watched the spectacle. "You two, Sharie and Trey, go on in and find your mother. As soon as we can, we will join you."  
  
Trey gave her a long look, hoping this would not be too dangerous. Gods, he would hate to lose her, not after....abruptly, he raised his wrist and spoke into his communicator. "Zelpha, I am transferring pilot control to White Ranger Delphine."  
  
"Acknowledged," said the computer cheerily. Sharie was glad they could not see her smile as she instructed the computer of her own zord to do the same with Carlos.  
  
"Be careful," she whispered to the two other rangers as they prepared to go fight. "They look kinda mean."  
  
"Don't worry, Sharie," said Carlos. He started to go, then suddenly turned around. He quickly stepped up to her, and to her surprise, hugged her hard. "We will be okay, promise. Now go and find your mother so I can meet her and get over my nervousness at meeting my girlfriend's mother."  
  
A weak, surprised laugh escaped Sharie's lips as she hugged him back, revelling in his presence for a moment. The he had to let her go, for the danger was mounting. She seemed almost unaware as Trey grasped her hand and pulled her back inside the fort. All her emotions were in a turmoil. Her last sight of the Zords were them transforming into gigantic fighting Zords.  
  
****  
  
She was being persued. Behind her, she heard wailing, robotic cries of "stop the prisoner! Don't let her escape!" The words hammered in her ears as her well-toned body took advantage of it's firm fitness and she began to run, really run, somehow managing to keep on her feet despite the rolling floor, the robot guards in hot persuit.  
  
Just when she was sure she could not run at that pace much longer, she felt her world collapse as she came to a dead-end room with a balcony overhead, built into the wall.  
  
With nowhere else to go, she was sure she was going to lose her life in this madhouse. Sudden determination siezed her, and she had one single thought as she thought of her former Power Ranger career.  
  
*I won't go down without a fight.*  
  
With the robots exploding into the room, she took up a defensive stance. Twelve years of not having used her martial arts had not fazed her ability in the slightest, but she was *not* going back into that prison. With a determined gleam in her purple eyes to take at least a few down with her, she uttered the timeless cry.  
  
"Sie-kyuh!" An inner crescent kick sent the first robot whirling, spinning to the ground. Promptly, two more pounced upon her, and it took all her skill to keep her body intact.  
  
Doggedly, she kept fighting, sure at any time she was going down. As the robots began to close in on her, and she took up a final stance, she felt a shiver run through her spine as there were two distinct "Ki-Yah's!" and twin whirlwinds of black-gold and violet-gold dashed into the room, momentarily dazzling her senses.  
  
****  
  
Sharie and Trey had been alerted by the cries and the noise emenating from nearby, just as the shaking of the floor stopped. Without thinking, she and Trey turned on their heels and ran toward the calamity. Running, Sharie dragged out her scanner and set it up. She read several robotic presences...and one female Triforian presence. The woman's heart was racing as she fought to defend herself.  
  
Telepathically, Sharie told her brother, and in response, they both picked up speed, only stopping short when they reached the open door to the dead- end room. Before they even looked inside, Sharie felt the adrenaline rush to her heart, for the gasps of pain she heard in the room were of a voice she had not heard in many, many years.  
  
They carefully glanced inside, and her heart nearly stopped. A streak of blonde curls flew around the face of a beautiful young woman dressed Triforian style. Her willowy body was desperately trying to fight off her persuers, who seemed hell-bent on taking her prisoner again by force.  
  
"Surrender, Jeanette!" one of them cried, launching himself at her.  
  
"Never!" she snarled, and she threw her long hair back, and the two silent observers could see the fiercely glittering purple eyes that so matched Sharie's, set in a face also identical to both of theirs. "You creeps may kill me, but I will never go back into that prison again."  
  
"This is your last chance to surrender, Jeanette, and keep your life."  
  
"What good is my life, so empty? Without the love of my family, my children to sustain me?" she spat out. "I have only survived with the determination to get out and get my family back together again, and I intend to do just that, or die trying!" Once again, she took up a defensive pose. "So try me."  
  
That is when the whole crowd pounced at her, the only thing overshadowing her defensive senses was that of the two rangers, clad in Zeo Costumes, that also sprang into the room.  
  
They pounced upon the nearest robots and sent them flying with two rapid blows to the head and abdomen areas. The other robots turned, registering this, and Jeanette felt herself become completely frozen, as if ice had taken hold of her body.  
  
Zeo costumes! The Gold Ranger! It could only be her son. The Violet Ranger, with the identical faceplate to the Gold Ranger's, was obviously female, small but just as determined to fight as her counterpart in gold.  
  
She felt her heart flip in her chest when the thought really sank in. The way they worked together, in unison, like another pair she remembered from years before. And she had given those powers to one person only. Gods, after all this time, they were here! Her children! After all these years of desperate lonliness, she finally was graced with the sight of their forms again. Her eyes filled with tears as she watched the duo, but the logical part of her mind was strong enough to insist she keep fighting, alongside her children, who obviously saw fit to rescue her. Her heart hammering in her ears, she sprang on the still robots once more, knocking the sense out of them.  
  
One by one, the robots went down. Sharie felt her heart clench in fear as one of the robots managed to corner her mother, raising a dagger for a death blow. Without a hitch or a word, Sharie drew her staff and fired, hitting the robot square in the back. Startled, the robot dropped to his knees, then keeled over, leaving a surprised Jeanette pressed against a wall. Astonished, she looked straight at her daughter. For a moment, they just looked at each other.  
  
Then, Sharie turned stiffly away, still not saying anything, and resumed fighting.  
  
Jeanette felt a stab of fear and anguish. Gods, had Sharie, after all, not forgiven her? Was she only fighting out of obligation to her brother? Would she *ever* reach her children again? If this was the case, then her life was no longer worth living.  
  
At long last, Sharie and Trey managed to corner the last robot. This one was the leader, and the most powerful, it would take both of them to take this one out. Sharie looked around quickly, spying the balcony above. With an idea forming in her mind, she ran a short distance and made a single leap, her powers giving her enough bounce to easily land above them.  
  
"Ready, Trey?" she called as the robot quickly (almost frantically) looked in two directions, unsure of which to attack first.  
  
"Ready, Lalinka." The name jolted Jeanette out of her despairing trance. If she had any further doubts of the identity of the Violet Ranger, it was now dispelled. Few people had called Sharie Lalinka.  
  
Simultaneously, both drew out their staffs and aimed it at the robot. He panicked, knowing he had not a chance. He spun on his own heel and tried to flee the room.  
  
Twin blasts of fire, from two directions and precisely on target, hit him in the back and the head. There was a bright glare as he emitted a strange sort of groan, and vanished as the sheer power of the blasts vaporized him.  
  
As the smoke cleared, silence fell on the room, except for Jeanette's ragged breathing. She stared at the vaporized spot for a moment, then straightened her back. Turning, in complete silence, she faced the two rangers behind her.  
  
****  
  
She had never felt such uncertainty as she did now, facing her very own flesh and blood. She still did not know whether or not they would ultimately reject her. She was sure her torment showed in her violet- purple eyes, directed at her children.  
  
An eternity seemed to pass as her gaze settled on that of her son's spandex- clad figure. She was only vaguely aware of the two other Rangers, ones she had never before met, slip into the room in complete silence, stepping unobtrusively into a corner.  
  
An eternity seemed to pass before Trey finally allowed himself to move. The staff vanished from his hand, and, too slowly, he crossed his wrists. "Zeo Gold Ranger, power down."  
  
A glitter of gold showed as the costume melted away from his body, and at last, Jeanette saw her handsome son in the flesh.  
  
Gods, he has not changed, was the first thought to reach her muddled mind. He is still the same son I am so proud of....  
  
Her eyes met his, and she inwardly knew he saw the utter torment in her eyes. She was almost afraid to read his dark depths, but she had to force herself to. She could not have been more surprised to see his eyes also full of torment, tears that did not fall--and the deep, unyeilding love she had never really expected to see again.  
  
During this time, Sharie flipped herself back over the balcony, so silently it barely registered with anyone else. So strong was the sudden desire to put distance between them and herself--for just a few moments, so she could clear her mind! She was so confused.....  
  
She made not a sound as mother and son continued to stare at each other, their eyes speaking volumes. She watched as her brother's feet finally seemed to unlock, and, swiftly, he crossed the room into his mother's welcoming arms.  
  
How can one describe a loving, desperate reunion of long-lost mother and son? It is not something that can easily be described by words. Love is a light word compared to the deep bonding between mother and child, though Trey was no longer a child.  
  
It is a connection of souls, a blending of spirits that first begins the moment the child is concieved and carried in his or her mother's body until life outside the womb can be granted them. For several months, they may have been joined both physically and spiritually, but the spiritual bond never fades, even should the mother be forced to give the child up for reasons beyond her control.  
  
She contributes to the child's life, bonds with the child in ways that cannot be understood, and nothing can change that, no matter how un-obvious it seems. It is heartbreaking, sometimes, that it would take a tragedy like this one to really bring a realization like this to the surface, and one wonders that it should not have to take a terrible event to draw such loved ones together, to realize their bond, or to simply say, "I love you."  
  
The strength of that bond was revealed now as mother and son held onto each other with an uncommon desperation. He held the tallish woman to him, finally feeling, in a small way, a burden on his overtortured soul lift. He ignored the tears streaming down his face, simply grateful to relax in the old, comforting presence of one he so loved, and had missed with a terrible fire burning in his soul.  
  
Silently, from above, Sharie continued to watch. Her heart had been pounding, and a serious burning pain had set it afire, a terrible pain borne of long seperation. Unable to help it, she was flooded with feelings of yearning, forgiveness, and love so powerful, it drowned out every other sense and obscured her breathing, making her feel that, surely, she was going to drown from the sheer impact of it. *My mother....*  
  
She did not realize it, but her face was wet with tears beneath her helmet, too.....  
  
It seemed to take a long time, but finally, Jeanette released him, drawing back and finally smiling slightly as she studied his face, eagerly absorbing the sight of him after so many years of deprivation.  
  
*Can you ever forgive me, my son?* she asked, echoing her mind into his like they had used to do.  
  
*It has already been forgiven, mother. I know the truth, but I still cannot deny why you did it.* He hugged her again, and then turned his glance toward Sharie, still morphed and not making one sound.  
  
Trembling, Jeanette turned to face her daughter. She could not read anything in her daughter's morphed posture; nothing betrayed what she might be thinking or feeling. Trying to sense her was like trying to sense a rock--nothing, absolutely nothing.  
  
Her despair would still be too overwelming if her daughter had failed to forgive her, for surely she remembered every sordid detail of being forced out into the unknown against her will, despite the heartfelt reason: her foremost safety. If she had not forgiven her.....or if she never would.....Jeanette thought her heart would sieze up and rip in two at the thought. *Even if I did it for her safty I cannot stand the thought of her hating me! Not now....not after all this!.....*  
  
Slowly, painfully slowly to Jeanette's eyes, Sharie crossed her wrists. "Zeo Violet Ranger, power down."  
  
Jeanette found herself staring in utter shock at a person virtually a mirror image of herself, only smaller. The same hair, the same face, the same eyes--the same deep purple eyes that were now glittering over with tears, streaming down her fair face. Her lips trembled, and hesistantly, Jeanette rasied her eyes to meet that of her now-grown daughter's.  
  
In them she saw many emotions. For once, Sharie's eyes were not sheileded over by a wall that prevented others from reading most of what was in their depths, that usually obscured others from seeing her very soul.  
  
Thus Jeanette could see a furious swirling of emotion, many of them fighting for dominance and failing miserably to gain any more ground than the others. She could discern torment, sadness, pain, what she expected to see. But she felt joy light up in her chest as she saw the emotion which, after what had to be an intense internal struggle, suddenly surge forth and overshadowed all others. It was what she had seen in the eyes of her son, the fierce, unyeilding love, the kind that sustains strongly throughout the worst hardships.  
  
Above all, there was no sign of anger or hatred anywhere.  
  
Jeanette could not stand it. Trembling, she reached out imploring hands to her little girl, her eyes silently begging. *Please, my little girl, my only daughter....please don't turn me away now!....*  
  
Sharie needed no further urgings. She flung herself into her mother's eagerly awaiting arms, and her mother cradled the small girl to her chest, not wanting to let go. She felt the whisper in her mind from Sharie, assuring that, whatever had happened, all was forgiven.  
  
"Oh, Sharie, my only girl. At last I have you back..."  
  
"I missed you.....despite anything else I might have felt....." Sharie choked, feeling a new sense of peace steal over her that she had not felt in a very long time.  
  
At long last, Jeanette pulled back and studied her daughter all over, and over the complete joy at seeing her beautiful girl alive and well, she felt concern and guilt stab at her heart. Sharie was so small, so petite. She looked downright fragile, and Jeanette only hoped living on Earth had not done this to her. There was so much different about her, she was far different from the child Jeanette had last seen her as. But one thing was clear: She was still Sharie, inside and out, no matter how different she had become.  
  
Without realizing it, Carlos made a small sound in his throat. Sharie turned, a smile appearing on her lips, and she laughed softly, waving them over. "Mom, these are the other two rangers who helped us." The two rangers demorphed obligingly as Jeanette turned to them. "This is Carlos Perez, Black Lightstar Ranger, and this is Delphine, White Aquitar Ranger."  
  
Jeanette politely greeted each, nodding especially at Delphine. "I have heard of you," she said admiringly. "I thank you for your help." Her eyes riveted to Carlos. "I have never heard of the Lightstar Rangers, but thank you, just the same."  
  
It did not dawn on her until then why two rangers, from seperate teams, had chosen to join her children in her rescue. Any confused thoughts on the subject were immediately dispelled when Trey walked over to Delphine, hugging her tightly, and Sharie found herself in Carlos's comforting arms. Her children turned to her, arms around each respective ranger, their eyes telling her what the situation was.  
  
"Oh, my..." was her first thought. She was too surprised to think coherently for a moment. Delight, relief, and awe, and a little concern, hit her all at once.  
  
She felt nothing but delight for her son. *My gods! One of my wildest wishes for him has come true! He's in love again! Despite his grief and fear, which he'll always have....he trusted himself to love again!*  
  
She knew of Delphine well, and she knew of her strong character and fiercely loyal streak to others. The Aquitian could not possibly have been anything less than Trey's perfect mate in Jeantte's eyes....except for one thing, one small, trivial detail.  
  
She was Aquitian.  
  
How on Triune's Peak did Trey manage to date her without splintering? Their species was rather fragile outside of their own environment; surely he'd have had to visit her homeworld at *some* point.....  
  
Oh, well, she'd ask that later. Somehow they must have overcome such a hurdle, since it was clear to her that it was, in part, Delphine making Trey's life that much more peaceful, and giving him some measure of happiness.  
  
Sharie's lover, though.....this was different. The boy from a world said to be savage and backwards. An earthling.  
  
She was concerned, to say the least. This boy looked as young as she did, he could not be more than eighteen, considering how fast and short human lives were. Were it not for the fact that the ancient Sage, Zordon, had placed his heart and trust into these people, seeing a side in them not a whole lot of others seemed to see, Jeanette would have, in a streak unusual for her, rather prejudiced against the idea.  
  
Besides, her baby was still so young....should she have grown up so soon?  
  
But one look in her daughter's eyes convinced her that this boy had been pivotal to her daughter's happiness, and that she would not change for the universe, no matter how young he or her daughter were.  
  
It took only two seconds to slightly change her opinion....she knew that look too well. It was that type that she knew had reflected in her own eyes when she'd been with her now-deceased husband, Teryan, whom she'd loved more than words could have expressed--even by the most talented of poets.  
  
Jeanette swallowed. If her daughter truly felt this way, then she'd at least attempt to get to know Carlos first, and give him the benefit of the doubt. If he proved was truly capeable of being what her daughter needed so much, then she'd say little or nothing in the long run.  
  
"All I can say is," she said after much hesistation, "Is thank you, for making my children's lives happy. For that, I am grateful to you."  
  
Sharie and Trey reached for their mother's hands, and silence settled over the group as they walked out of the room and down halls, finally to the outside, where the Zeo Zords stood in a victorious posture, for Carlos and Delphine had managed to easily win over their foe.  
  
As Jeanette breathed in the first fresh air of nearly twelve years, looking at the proud zords standign in the sunlight, she felt a new, radiant energy flood her chest, a new desire to face her future. With her children at her side, perhaps one was now in store. There were questions to be asked, explanations extended, but she no longer dreaded it as much.  
  
She was free, free to live, and free to soar once again.  
  
****  
  
Of course, he had been right. She knew he had escaped, but she had to make sure. Once the group stepped onto the bridge of the Hurricane-Mountain Lion Ultrazord, Jeanette tugged her daughter toward the consoles. "Please, I need your help," she said softly. "I have to find out where he went, I owe him so much for helping me with my freedom..."  
  
"Whom, Mother?" Sharie asked, surprised, thought she had a sneaking feeling she knew.  
  
Jeanette hesistated. "Well...he is Dryseran, one of the few Drysera I ever knew that was fair and kind. He was often my friend, though he had to act as my jailer. Ultimately, he helped me to go free. I know he escaped just before you found me."  
  
"Dyson!" Sharie exclaimed at once. "It was him, was it not? I thought so, but I was not sure..."  
  
Jeanette paused, looking at her daughter thoughtfully. There had been no trace of anger or animosity in her voice. "You knew of Dyson?" she asked, to make sure all fit into place.  
  
"Of course I knew him. He was my only Dryseran friend when I was kidnapped, he used sneaky methods to give me an opprotunity to escape, and was involved a few days ago, when..." Sharie stopped suddenly, wondering how to say it. It was too painful.  
  
"He is a good man," she said at last.  
  
Jeanette sighed softly, laying a hand on her daughter's arm. "He told me of the attack days ago, when Dark Dresden attacked Earth and met his end. It was Dyson's reputation for kindness that had his life spared by the servants and slaves that had taken over the ship. They had enough compassion to let him live. He showed up shortly afterwards, looking like he had survived a holocaust. He told me what had happened, that he had seen you and Trey both on Earth, also. It was my first indication of anything since my imprisonment, and certainly the first time I knew for certain you had survived, Sharie."  
  
Tears filled her eyes, and she closed them painfully. "Sharie must have told you by now, Trey. I do not know how you can forgive me."  
  
Trey did not even squirm, though a small part of him was glad that what had been written by Jeanette in her diary was so obviously true here. He reached out and gently took his mother's hands in his own, sitting her down in one chair and sitting in another one across from her.  
  
"I think it is time for total truth between us all," he began uncomfortably. "Yes, Sharie told me what had happened, detail by painful detail. But I already knew by that point."  
  
Her eyes widened in startled surprise. "But how could you know!" she exclaimed, going white. "I had to keep it a secret! You would not have let me do it if I had told you, and I told no one else either!"  
  
Trey blushed for some reason. He drew a computer padd out of his tunic, turned it on, and handed it to Jeanette. "Does this look familiar?"  
  
Jeanette felt any remaining blood drain from her face as she stared in horror at a copy of the manuscript she thought she had done away with. "But--I destroyed that! I never meant anybody to see those words. It had only been intended for my peace of mind. How did you get this--*where* did you get this?"  
  
"Mother," said Sharie softly, holding up a hand and stopping her mother's outburst. "It was that very manuscript that led Trey, and myself in a way, to forgive you so completey. It was found some months ago by a human boy named Tommy. When Trey was splintered, another former Earth Ranger named Billy went to Triforia to try and help. Your file had only changed to a sort of virus that attached itself to another unimportant file Billy downloaded and sent back to Earth. Tommy found the manuscript, had it translated, and read it. He did not mean to pry, but he did not tell anybody for several months what hidden pain was in Trey's past."  
  
Jeanette could not keep the tears from streaming down her face. "Then this..." she touched the padd, "Was the sole reason you forgave me? What was in it, other than sheer evidence of my guilt? I sill stand by my actions, and I feel they were completely justified."  
  
"Tommy finally told my team about it," spoke up Carlos, hoping he was not butting in. "You see, I was drawn to Sharie the moment I first saw her. She told us a condensed, slightly changed version of her backstory, but did not mention her brother had happened to be the Lord of Triforia. She certainly had no notion he was the Gold Ranger. I wondered why she and Trey seemed so familiar, so I am afraid I am the nosy one here. Tommy told TJ (another ranger) and I what he knew, and gave us the manuscript to read. It made us determined to reunite the pair. Our Yellow Ranger, Ashley, was the one who broke the news to Trey of what she knew."  
  
Jeanette stared at him for a long moment, and Carlos got the sudden feeling that he had gotten when she first looked at him....thoughtfulness, and reservation. He understood somehow that she wasn't all that wild about him dating her daughter. But she'd also made no move to condemn him--yet. He could see in her amethyst eyes that she was battling with herself over what he'd said, and knew that it could either warm her to him or color her opinion of him further--he wasn't sure, yet.  
  
"I expect you reacted with anger," said Jeanette after several moments, hanging her head slightly. "It must have been such a shock, knowing it was your own mother whom was responsible for your sister's disappearance..."  
  
Trey heistated then, then admitted, "At first, for a short while, I was a little upset. I wondered why you did not trust me to protect Sharie, to keep her from harm. But I dismissed a grude right away, mother, since I love you too much to hold one against you. Reading your own words finalized the thought, for I understood completely then. I am not angry, and I bear no resentment."  
  
Trembling, Jeanette hugged her son tightly. She could feel him trembling also as he held her tightly. She felt much better all of a sudden, except for one matter. Sighing, she let go of her son to face her daughter.  
  
"My Sharie..." she sighed, touching her daughter's chin. "I hope and pray with all my heart you did not suffer too much for what I knew I had to do. You have read what I have written also?"  
  
Sharie nodded. "I have, I did the day Trey and I were reunited." Her eyes lowered. "I must admit, I was upset, very upset, at first after you placed me in that craft. But I saw the space station behind me explode, and I came to realize that I could not hold a grudge against a mother and brother I had thought dead. I forgave you then, mostly, but I think..." her chin started to tremble, "maybe I was still a little bit resentful. I was raised by a wonderful couple on Earth, they adopted me and loved me, and I loved them as much as I had loved you guys. I eventually lost them both, and now their brother and sister, my aunt and uncle, are my legal guardians. I certainly did not know that the mysterious gold ranger who showed up at one point was my own brother." She sighed. "Many months later, I read your manuscript. I completely forgave you then, for I saw your anguish through your eyes." She reached out and hugged her mother tightly, crying softly. "I really, really missed you, Momma...."  
  
"I missed you too, my child. More than you could ever understand," Jeanette murmured, hugging her own daughter tightly and rubbing her back soothingly. "I never thought to tell you about your brother's powers. It would have been a secret for more weeks yet until you turned six. But I see you made good use of your own powers, the ones I gave you."  
  
"That brings another question to mind, Momma," Sharie quivered, a smile on her lips as she wiped her wet cheeks. "Where did you get the powers you gave me?"  
  
"I discovered them by accident, two centuries ago, while exploring Triforia's uncharted territory for myself," Jeanette admitted. "They were far too powerful to consider telling anybody about, and Triforia was at peace at the time. So I put them away in a safe spot and told nobody. If it had been known, especially to the evil side, Triforia would have been swamped. I certainly had no notion that I would ever have another child, I was thought to be sterile. I considered using them myself should the need arise, but it never did. When I was forced to send Sharie away, I gave her the power to protect herself from harm. The could not do much for her until the powers deemed her mature enough to handle them, but she would have had some protection."  
  
"I have been an active ranger since I was eight years old," said Sharie quietly.  
  
"That young..." said Jeanette, gaping at the girl in astonishment. "How? Sharie, you were a child! I would have thought maybe fourteen or fifteen at the earliest.....not eight!"  
  
"It just happened," Sharie shrugged. "You said yourself that when I was ready, and the powers deemed me ready and worthy enough, they would open up fully to me for my own use."  
  
"I presume you contacted Zordon," said Jeanette hopefully. "He could have trained you quickly to handle the powers."  
  
Sharie shook her head. "I have never met Zordon. It is a long story." Carlos came up behind her and she leaned into him without thinking. "Now, I just sort of travel back and forth between Earth and Triforia. I have a life on Earth that I built for myself, and now I share it with the other rangers there, especially Carlos. Trey is there quite often, too, and once in awhile, he will travel to Aquitar."  
  
Trey blushed and held Delphine a little more tightly. Jeanette eyed the couple for only a moment before sighing. "I have only one question concerning you two," she said to Trey. "Dyson told me that the first time you went to Aquitar, you crash-landed and splintered. *How* have you managed to go there subsequent times without a repeat performance?"  
  
Now it was *Sharie* who turned red. "I discovered what you did to me with that shot you gave me just a day before I left," she said softly. "You messed with my DNA sequence, Mother, and as a result, chances are practically nil I will ever splint due to 'genetic incompatibility.' I discovered it years ago, and when Trey and I were reunited a couple of weeks ago, I introduced the same substance to the general Triforian public. Now we need never fear splintering again."  
  
"I only discovered it days before the Dryseran invasion," said Jeanette, her cheeks red flags. "And I never tried it on anybody, either. I could not tell anybody and let the Dryserans know we hold such weakness. They would have attempted to do it to us on purpose, split our soul into it's three levels, and then kill at least one for the other's misery. I tried it for the first time on Sharie because she needed the protection."  
  
"As you can see, it worked," said Sharie with a smile. "I am no different because of it, I assure you. I am glad you were treated so well while in prison. Truth be told, I expected you to look much worse."  
  
"I am well, physically," said Jeanette, giving her daughter another once- over. "I could say that I expceted the same of you, Sharie. In many ways, you look different that I pictured you."  
  
"How would you have pictured me?" Sharie asked in curiosity. Jeanette blushed.  
  
She hesistated, but decided truth was the best policy. "I liked to think of you as...well, Sharie, I am right in the fact that I knew you would be beautiful, but..." she squirmed, "I hoped you would be much taller, and more robust. You look so fragile...." she turned even redder, "I wonder how you managed to remain a Power Ranger at all. After Dyson told me you had grown up on Earth, I did not know what to think. I hope the environment is not the reason you are so small. Everyone else in our family has always been at least above average in height. But then, you were always small..."  
  
"Sharie, weak?" chuckled Carlos in amusement. "I don't think so. She is at least three times my strength. And her martial arts skills---no one ever dares mess with her."  
  
Jeanette, to her own surprise, found herself smiling suddenly at him.  
  
Trey grinned in spite of himself. "She is almost as strong as *me*." he put in. "Growing up on Earth has toughened her considerably, since the environment there is a little more harsh and the diet is different. As for her height...."  
  
"I always was short, and that is that," Sharie put in. "It was not the diet, or the atmosphere. And Mother, you told me Trey had one last growth spurt just before he quit aging. I am approaching that age, maybe I will gain a few more inches."  
  
Jeanette's face was still flushed. "I would not wonder if it is my fault, in a way," she confessed. "I had so much trouble carrying you to term, Sharie. You were quite small at birth, under five pounds. I almost died giving birth to Trey, and it was even worse with you, I am sorry to say. It was worth it, though. But maybe it was my difficulty that made you so small..."  
  
"Nonsense," Sharie put in. "Trey was almost as small, and look at him now. My great-grandfather on Daddy's side was on the short side, remember? Shortness in this family is just as rare as the eye color you gave me." Twinkling, her purple eyes met her mother's matching ones. "Doesn't it usually skip four or five generations?"  
  
Jeanette chuckled, relaxing. She smiled a bit indulgently at her son and Delphine, feeling almost in debt to the white ranger for being what her son had so depserately needed. The story of how they met was something she looked forward to hearing.  
  
She was still a quite uptight about her daughter and that human boy. Carlos seemed intelligent enough and, surely his soul was fairly pure. She knew Sharie would not settle for less than that. But not only had her son's first love, when he was almost as young at the time--thirty-two-- ended in disaster, Jeanette could not bear for her daughter's heart to be ripped to shreds as well, and she'd heard of the humans' high divorce rates and tendencies among some to be fickle. She did not want to stand for it if Carlos was like that.  
  
But then, surely Sharie would not have fallen in love with such a shallow character. And Jeanette had never before defined one person by stereotypes she'd heard about their races. She knew it would be an awful thing for her to do, to start that now. Carlos did not strike her as anything but a good person. It was probably that she just did not know him, not like she knew about Delphine--anyone who'd ever heard of the Aquitian Ranger leader knew of her good heart. She'd give Carlos his chance to prove himself to her. She would not stand in the way of her daughter's happiness.  
  
Jeanette's purple eyes riveted to the viewscreen, she saw the stars streak by in hyperrush mode. Stars. She only had seen glimpses of them outside prison windows for so many years, it seemed almost unreal that she was seeing them in such spectacular beauty as they were now, even though they were only streaks of light while the ships swirled through a hyperrush tunnel.  
  
Triforia. How she missed home. During her 23,000 year lifespan so far, she had been away from her home planet longer times than that, but she still always missed it. And while she had also been a prisoner of war before on more than one occasion, it had never been for so long, so achingly long. Another wave of longing welled up in her, to see Triforia's blue skies, three bright moons, smell the sweet air, and see her home again, her friends, other family members.  
  
Sharie glanced at her mother and saw her heart in her eyes. "We will be headed back to Triforia soon," she said softly. "I need to stop by Earth first to assure my family there I am all right. You might want to meet them, mother--Marek and Marisha Thoene are wonderful people, and their children Toby and Tami Lynne are dear children. You would love them instantly."  
  
"They are your aunt and uncle, the ones legally responsible for you on Earth?" asked Jeanette quietly. "If that is the case, I have a few things to say to them."  
  
Sharie raised a cautious eyebrow. She hoped her mother would not misalign them because they were human, and her mother's ideas of Earth would still be a bit primitive.  
  
Jeanette saw the cautious shadows in her daughter's eyes, and wondered if she'd picked up on her reservations about humans. Probably so. Even without reading others' minds Sharie was very astute.  
  
"I must thank them," smiled Jeanette. "For helping to raise such a wonderful girl. I am very proud of you, Sharie, and yes, I would like to meet them."  
  
This was true. Sharie had changed in many ways, but Jeanette could see that the strong force of purity was within her, more powerful than ever. It had to have been reinforced by good people, and surely she'd been loved by others, ones who'd given their heart over when she was such a tiny child and needed it so much just then. There was no other explanation. That could and often did happen, no matter what the race....love was even known to exist among the evil Dryserans. Dyson had told her often how much his own parents had loved each other so deeply.  
  
Even Earth had families.  
  
Sharie smiled in relief. "Good. They and my adoptive parents taught me much about Earth culture, and this is the planet where Standard evolved naturally without much 'outside' help. I have taught them all High Triforian and how to use telepathy. Don't say anything against it, it is especially good for Toby and Tami, because they are deaf."  
  
"I won't," said Jeanette. "But I am surprised you let go of your stringent mental training enough to do that."  
  
"I have not let go of my training," said Sharie seriously. "My mental powers are too strong for me to dare to lose control. Few others on our planet could dare to match what I have, it is my main curse."  
  
"I would have thought that with all that menal power, it would be a blessing," said Carlos.  
  
"Not with everyone's thoughts, emotions, and urges constantly battering and overwhelming against your mind," answered Sharie with a sigh. "Even for Trey, should he lower his guard somewhat, it would not usually be much more than annoying. I lower mine too much, and it is so overwhelming I can completely lose my own awareness. It does not take much, and it can do too much damage."  
  
Carlos nodded, contemplating this, as the computer announced cheerfully, "Approaching Earth."  
  
Sharie sighed again and sat at the computer console, rapidly typing out a specially coded IM to her family--nobody on earth's technology level could bust through this kind. No sooner had she sent the "send" button than she got a reply. Her aunt and uncle must have been glued to the computer waiting for a message.  
  
*Sharie?* it was her aunt on the computer. *Are you all right? You are back?*  
  
*Yes, Aunt Marisha,* she typed rapidly, leaving much to her poor aunt's imagination. *I am fine.*  
  
The next line trailed in, showing her aunt's uncertainty. *....Were you.....how did the mission go?* Jeanette, reading over Sharie's shoulder, suddenly knew that her family was perfectly aware of what Sharie had been doing.  
  
Sharie paused for a moment before typing, simply, *Mission successful.*  
  
*Sharie!* exclaimed her aunt through cyberspace. *You mean you managed to find....are you in orbit yet?*  
  
*Would you like to come aboard?* Sharie had a smile on her lips as she typed this.  
  
Marisha's *yes! We are coming.....*all* of us!!!*  
  
Sharie smiled despite herself.  
  
*Then stand by,* she typed. *Teleporting.*  
  
Jeanette paled at her sudden nervousness and the suddenness. From what she read, it seemed that this is where Sharie got some of her occassional impulsiveness.  
  
*Don't worry,* Sharie assured her mother mentally. *Marisha and Marek may regard you a bit closely at first, but they will grow to like you quickly. You are that type of person.*  
  
*Yes,* Jeanette thought in a way she hoped her daughter could not hear, *But how much will they respect a woman forced to send her child into the unknown for her own protection?*  
  
The sparkling sound of teleportation beams, as well as the bright effect, filled the room as Jeanette slipped into the background by her son, her nervousness still evident in her eyes.  
  
Sharie stood to face them as the glittering columns of light released her family from it's clutches. She smiled inadvertently as she saw her two cousins Toby and Tami cradling her two cats, Topaz and Violeta, in their arms.  
  
"You had to bring the kittens," she remarked with signs to them before turning to hug her aunt and uncle. They both held her tightly, making it quite plain to Jeanette that there was indeed, a fierce family bond evident before her very eyes. It made her heart clench with shame for how much she had missed.  
  
"Are you all right?" asked Marek, releasing Sharie and touching her chin lightly. "'mission successful?'"  
  
Sharie nodded, her eyes dancing. "Yes, very successful. Turn around." While they did, she beckoned her mother forward. Jeanette hesistantly and shyly did so. "Aunt Marisha, Uncle Marek, this is my birth mother, Jeanette Triesta. She was kept prisoner on a Dryseran outpost for several years when we found her."  
  
For a moment, there was silence as Jeanette endured the expected srcutiny. Of course these people would be very protective of Sharie, and she sincerely hoped they did not view her as an unwanted intruder, veying for Sharie's affection after so long being gone from her life.  
  
So she was rather startled when Marisha moved suddenly, taking the initative and raising her hand, palm up, addressing her formally in fluent High Triforian. "We greet you, Jeanette Triesta, former Lady of Triforia. If you are ever on Earth, you will be welcome into our home for as long as you wish it."  
  
Although the words were formal, Jeanette was grateful to hear the underlying warmth in the tone of voice. However, as she also raised her palm, pressing it against Marisha and entwining their fingers in the traditional gesture of greeting, she also sensed the hint of caution in the tone. She might have to assure these people that she was indeed not an ogre woman who had carelessly abandoned her child to the wilderness.  
  
"I thank you," she began in her native tongue, then abruptly switched to Standard. "And I also must thank you as well, for taking in my daughter when she needed it so desperately those years ago. In fact, I am deeply in debt to you, and I owe you more than I ever hope to repay for helping to raise and love her."  
  
"We love Sharie as if she were our own flesh-and-blood child," said Marek, also extending his hand palm-up. "Alhough it was my brother and Marisha's sister who formally adopted her, Sharie was like the child of all four of us, even after Marisha and I finally managed to have our own children." He gestured to Toby and Tami, who were watching the whole affair with wide gold eyes.  
  
Jeanette could not help but smile, almost wistfully, at the children. They were her weakest point, she loved children, and it had always made the raging desire for her own more painful all those years she had been denied them. They were a welcome sight to her lonely heart.  
  
She remembered Sharie telling her they were deaf, but used the universal sign language and telepathy. She decided not to use the mental intrusion as yet while she quickly signed, "Oh, I see you like animals. They are very cute. Are they yours?"  
  
Tami smiled, almost gratefully, Jeanette thought. "No, these kittens belong to Sharie. The one I am holding is Violeta, Toby is holding Topaz." She had had to put down the kitten to sign, and Violeta had gone directly to Sharie, giving a requesting *meow* before kneeling on her haunches and leaping gracefully into Sharie's arms. The kitten looked at Sharie adoringly, then looked at Jeanette, then back at Sharie. "Meow?" she asked.  
  
"Mrrrow?" echoed Topaz as he hopped down from Toby's arms and leaped on a chair, then onto Sharie's shoulder. Toby watched this in amusement, signing gracefully, "I think they want to know why she looks so much like you, Sharie. Your mother is almost your mirror image."  
  
"I figured Sharie would resemble me one day," Jeanette answered the boy, and she could not hide the sandess in her eyes. "But even I expect I never dreamed she would so closely resemble me."  
  
"You don't even look older than her," said Tami, her features a bit puzzled. "She could be your twin sister, more than Toby is my twin brother. How old are you?"  
  
"I am 23,000 years old," signed Jeanette, smiling as she saw their astonished looks. Probably for as often as Sharie had told them Triforians lived at least 50,000 years, it might still be quite a bit for them to think about. "But her twin? Twins are very, very rare in our society, kiddos, and it is considered beyond luck when it happens. A pair like you would certainly warrant attention."  
  
Toby shifted and shrugged. "Don't we know it," he signed with a sigh. "Wait until you meet Ashley, the Yellow Lightstar Ranger. She is a triplet."  
  
Jeanette raised an eyebrow, turning to Sharie for confirmation. She felt a flash of surprise when Sharie nodded. Triplets! Outside of splintering! On Triforia, it had almost never happened.  
  
Realizing she was letting her mind wander, she shook her head and glanced back at Marisha. She felt a private relief when she saw the caution in the other's eyes fade. She was glad she was quickly earning the couple's trust, with her attention toward the children and her devotion to her own.  
  
Sharie seemed to whisper to the kittens, setting them carefully on the floor. She smiled as they approached Jeanette, looking up and chiming in with a friendly, "Meow? Mrrrrioww?"  
  
The woman could not resist. Cats are simply the most adoring creatures when they wanted to be. They have a way of grabbing and holding your attention that is quite endearing, and they worm their way into your heart, and they never let go. She knelt carefully, gingerly touching the head of Topaz. He purred and pressed his little head into her palm, encouraging her touch. Violeta rubbed against Jeanette's ankles, then lightly hopped onto the woman's shoulder like she often did Sharie. Jeanette shared her daughter's sense of ticklishness and could not help but giggle when the kitten nuzzled her neck and licked her ear in a friendly fashion.  
  
Marisha and Marek relaxed completely. Cats are masters of sensing a person's personality, and the way they acted made it perfectly clear that Jeanette was an honest, caring woman with more love to give than it seemed possible for one woman to have. Indeed it was only unfortunate circumstance, nothing more, that had forced her to give up her little girl so she could live, and the seperation had anguished her. And they were grateful it made Sharie so happy to have her back.  
  
"What do you plan to do now?" asked Marisha in a gentle, friendly fashion.  
  
"I wish to go back to Triforia," said Jeanette, her eyes suddenly misting at the thought of home. "I want to be with my friends, and with my children. I have so much to catch up on, and so much I have to make up for."  
  
Sharie nodded to herself, seeing the longing in her mother's eyes. She was hit with an idea, since her aunt and uncle were just starting their vacation anyway. Carlos would have nothing to do....  
  
"Well...." she signed to the twins. "You have been begging me to show you Triforia, why don't you come with us? All of you? The recent series of events has made me realize again just how important you all are to me, and I would not like being pulled in two directions just now."  
  
Sharie had certainly caught their attention, for instantly, the twins were at their parents, begging with loud, exaggerated gestures, "*Please*, may we go? All of us? Please, Momma, Daddy, please?"  
  
Good-naturedly, he laughed while kissing their heads. "Sure, we can go, if it is all right with Trey and Jeanette, as well as Sharie. Triforia is not our world to rule, after all."  
  
"Of course you may come," said Trey at once. "We would love to have you visit our world. I overlook things on Triforia, I don't consider myself it's master, remember? And the children would like Toby and Tami, I know it. They would find lots of ways to communicate, I am sure."  
  
The twins jumped up, clapping their hands together in a high-five.  
  
****  
  
Two sihlouetted figures walked one of Triforia's tropical beaches that night, basking in the eerie glow of Triforia's three moons. One which glowed a blue-green, since it also contained life, one which glowed white and was as dead and airless as Earth's moon. The third glowed an interesting pink-red, due to the high content of Iron Oxide in it's crust. It cast many colorful shadows on the two figures who walked, one tall and one small, hands clasped.  
  
"Your world is so beautiful," Carlos murmured, feeling the pull of the tide tickle his toes and the wind blow freely through his longish, black unbound hair. It was the most refreshing feeling he could recall in a long time, and it was made even better by having the girl he loved by him now.  
  
"I am glad you think so," she murmured, letting the wind whip her own unbound locks every-which-way. "It is a beautiful universe, after all."  
  
The peaceful night was having it's intended intoxicating effect. Slowly, Carlos stopped, barely hearing the musical wind in his ears. Sharie, his Querida, he mused as she stopped to face him. The combined moonlight of all three moons cast their eerie, colorful glow as she looked up at him, lighting up her blazingly golden hair with candy colors, increasing her innocent appearance. Her eyes danced with the same colors, and she looked so positively sweet it was impossible to resist. She lifted her chin, feeling her breath disappear as his mouth covered hers very softly.  
  
She felt her own heartbeat pick up, then skyrocket, and her free hand groped, feeling for his. He gave them a warm squeeze as the gentle kiss went on and on, blending their hearts and souls in one whirlpool of warmth and understanding, binding them with ties only love and devotion could create and few things could shatter.  
  
When the kiss ended, it was very slowly. She felt the gentle pressure of his lips lift, and some inner desire made her lips follow his, not wanting it to end, until she was on her toes and only his height prevented the contact from staying.  
  
"Carlos?" she asked, sounding so innocent he felt a flicker of amusement. Maybe this was how she had sounded as a girl.  
  
"Yes?" he asked, not letting her hands go. Her innocent tone and posture evoked the strongest feelings of protection, and he could not help but smile. Sharie, in most ways, had lost most of her innocence the day she was kidnapped.  
  
"Carlos.....what I have to say goes so much beyond words....the best I can come up with is thank you, thank you for being there for me, yesterday, today, since you first shown your light into my life. It means much more to me than you could ever understand."  
  
For a moment, he was struck purely dumb. He still did not understand how she managed to do that. Her seeminly innocent words struck a chord in him he did not realize he had.  
  
He opened his mouth, shut it, then stumbled over the lump in his throat, "I did not do anything I would not have done, Querida. I wanted to be there for you, don't you understand? I hate to see you in such misery. I am rejoicing with you because you are finally starting to get some of your life back. And I'll make Jeanette see who I truly am. She should have some idea already or I'm sure she would have said something by now otherwise." He grinned wickedly, then his eyes filled with pure emotion. "I love you, Sharie. You are a part of my own soul now, a part I cannot live without and don't want to even try to do."  
  
Now it was her turn to be rendered speechless, and she stood still for a moment, trembling. Suddenly, moving fast, she wrenched her hands from his and flung her arms around his neck. Understanding her emotions, he caught his hand behind her neck and another around her slim waist, catching her to him and his lips crushing hers, a wild kiss of promise, the sweetest of promises and with the pressure of eternity.  
  
****  
  
In the privacy of his bedroom, Trey stood at the open window, staring out at the deep sky and the colorful array of light bestowed upon him by the three moons of Triforia. Clasped at his side, watching the same moon, was Delphine, the love of his life, the one who had opened his heart to romantic love once again, when he had thought it impossible.  
  
He heard her sigh softly, and he held her a bit tighter.Three weeks, he mused. His whole life had turned upside-down in just three weeks. He had found his sister, fallen in love, avenged an old enemy, and found his mother in such a short span. A nagging thought in his mind told him that his good fortune seemed too good to last, it would, quite possibly, blow up in his face one day. The thought sent a chill up his spine. If he lost any one of those he loved, he would be a basket case, unreachable. He could not go through it again, he was certain.  
  
He felt Delphine's hands move to rub his back soothingly, and he gratefully let the thought go. He closed his eyes, his head atop hers, letting her soothe him for once.  
  
He could not tell her often enough how much he loved her, but he wanted her to know how grateful he was for her presence in his life of so late, when he had needed it the most. But mere words were not enough, to feel your feelings pulse through you, to make the connection beyond words, using the soulful bond, was true achievement, much more than flowery language. Language was a start, but the bond moved beyond words.  
  
And it was much more pure, Trey mused idly as he lifted Delphine's chin with his finger, so her eyes met his. Yes, they were beyond words at times like these, when emotion, thought, and language both blended and became one with true understanding. Both understood it now as their lips met, and they understood that love was powerful, deeply moving, and eternally binding.  
  
What started out as gentle swiftly caught up in a heated passion, the passion that ignited not only the flesh, but the soul. Her arms went around his neck, and while his lips were still pressed against hers, he caught her up easily in his arms, carrying her over to the bed, with the understanding that what had been started would only lead to infinity.  
  
****  
  
The dark pressed against every corner of Jeanette's sleeping chambers, save for one spot, where she was curled on the window seat, watching with tears streaming down her face at the beloved sight of her Triforia's night sky again. Home, she was home. Her family beside her, her sins forgiven, her future bright with promise. The only thing missing was her beloved Teryan, her deceased husband, whom she had never ceased missing. The one who had given her the two children now peacefully occupying Triforia's night sky.  
  
*But we will always be connected,* she thought with age-old understanding as she watched the sky, her vision not blurred by her tears. *Even should I marry again, should I find love again, no one could ever take Teryan's place.  
  
*Wherever you are, Teryan, I hope you understand,* she thought to the empty room. *Your family is back together again. May, by the grace of all we know, it remain so.*  
  
And maybe this time, it could turn out right. 


	6. The Ghost Guardian, story 6

Disclaimer: Saban or whomever it is nowadays (seeing as it keeps changing hands) owns the Power Rangers. I own this file. So we're square. Whoopee!!!  
  
Seeing as how I own Sharie Treista and anybody else not considered "canon" in these stories, (including the character Troy) I feel obliged to point out that the character of Nightstriker Warrior actually happens to belong to my little brother, more or less. Ages ago, when I was typing this series for the first time, he approached me on it and begged me to use one of *his* ideas, one of *his* made-up warriors for once. I bowed to the inevitable for once and said yes. So the idea of these powers, belonging to a ghost, were born, bounced between his brain and mine. (Consequently, this is his favorite story out of the whole bunch I've ever written. Coincidence? I think not.)  
  
Forgive the idiotic stanzas in this story. I was sick at the time when writing it and later was too lazy to change it (including now).  
  
Acknowledgements: Starhawk, for a certain color withdrawl concept, my little brother, for NightStriker Warrior, and to my readers, for reading and enjoying.  
  
Somebody asked me: Why double-dutch? My answer: Because I hate sports and did sort of enjoy jumping rope as a kid. And it amused me that a world as advanced as Triforia has to be would not have something as simple as jumping with two ropes (despite the "sheltered" cracks made in this story....)  
  
The Ghost Guardian By ZeoViolet Teaser: When a ghost guards his powers, he will make sure only the right person recieves them.  
  
"No, like this," signed Toby, twisting his foot as he demonstrated to the older Triforian boy. "You don't use teleknesis, you use your head and your senses for Hackey-Sack."  
  
Fourteen-year-old Tasik watched the smaller boy with rapt attention. Though Toby was only nine and Tasik was fourteen, the two had become fast friends. Toby's hands flew as he explained the difference between Earth's hackey-sack and Triforia's version which involved telekenesis. Other boys and girls were crowded around, watching also, their eyes wide and their golden Marks of Triforia gleaming on their right eyes and upper cheekbones.  
  
Tami was in a different group, jumping rope with a smaller crowd of boys and girls.  
  
"Why jump with two ropes?" signed a twelve-year old girl named Sandiyea to her new friend. "I don't see a point."  
  
"Don't tell me you have never heard of double-dutch!" Tami exclaimed with her hands, her golden eyes wide. She turned and sent a quick telepathic thought to her twin brother. Being twins, and having had Sharie as a coach, this was easily accomplished.  
  
*Toby, can you believe they have no system for jumping with two ropes? Come here and help me show them how!*  
  
Toby smiled inadvertenly as he kicked the small bean-filled sack one more time, catching it neatly in his hand. Quickly, he explained what he was going to do as the group followed him. Jump-rope was a popular sport on Triforia, especially with children, and they were curious.  
  
Sharie and Trey, along with their mother, Jeanette and the twins's parents, Marisha and Marek Thoene, stood on a hill, smiling as they watched the proceedings.  
  
"You have never heard of double-dutch?" chuckled Marek as he watched.  
  
Trey shook his head. "No. Why jump with two ropes when one will complete the exercise?"  
  
"It is fun," said Sharie, who, having grown up on earth, knew what it was. "Just watch, and you will see."  
  
*Sharie!* she suddenly heard the call in her brain. *We need a third person. Will you come and help us?*  
  
*I am coming,* she sent automatically. She shot a grin to the adults and raced down the hill to help her young cousins. They laughed, watching her take up one end of the two ropes and Toby take the other end. Silence fell as their eyes locked, golden to purple, and rhythmically, first one rope then the other, the gentle *slap, slap* could be heard on the pavement.  
  
Tami stood just out of the reach of the twirling ropes, timing her entry. When the timing was just right, she jumped in, her small feet beginning to dance on the pavement as they lightly skipped over the double ropes. With a smile on her face and her long black hair flying, her golden eyes glittering, she demonstrated one move, then another, and the two twirling the ropes responded to her unspoken cue to start going as fast as they dared, until her feet were moving so fast they could barely be seen. Finally, with a dramatic handspring, she leaped out of the twirling cage and landed neatly on her feet.  
  
She could not hear the resounding applause, being deaf, but she could see it when she turned around and saw the cheering crowd. She, Toby, and Sharie were surrounded by eager children begging for more, wanting to learn this strange new way of playing. They were only too happy to teach them.  
  
"It looks like they have given Triforia a new sport," mused Jeanette, watching the crowd. Marisha looked at her in surprise, for Jeanette seemed unaware of the tears streaming down her face, or the look of gratification in her eyes. "Jeanette? Are you okay?"  
  
"Fine. I am better than okay." Jeanette wiped her face and smiled, looking no older than her daughter among the other children. Triforians stopped aging at eighteen or nineteen. "I feel wonderful. I never thought to see Sharie actively playing with a group of children again. Technically, she should still be doing that for a few more years yet, hanging out with the very young crowd. But Sharie was forced to grow up much, much too soon. It may be hard for you to understand, Marisha. Children on this world are very precious, and we don't have a lot of them at any one time. There are only three hundred million of us, and we live 50,000 years. So at any given time, children, even in groups, are relatively rare, and we indulge them until they are supposed to technically be fully adults, and even adults love to play."  
  
"And how old is that?" asked Marisha mildly.  
  
"Most Triforians are considered fully adult when they are around twenty- five or so," answered Jeanette. "But both Trey and Sharie grew up well before then. I have been forced to see the adult side of my daughter for the past week since they set me free, and I am gratified to see her act her age for once."  
  
Marisha chuckled. "On Earth, by now she would have been past jumping rope like a nine-year-old. In just weeks, legally on her eighteenth birthday, she will be fully adult," Marisha confessed. "And Marek and I will have no legal hold on her. But what about you?"  
  
"Technically, I can keep Sharie under my control until her twenty-fifth birthday," answered Jeanette uneasily. "But I cannot. She has lived too much to be considered my child daughter. And, by law, her adulthood comes sooner because of her romantic involvement, be it with a human boy or not. I understand that what she has going with Carlos is pretty deep, but I do not know the full extent of it. She could be sexually involved also with him and I would have no right finding out."  
  
Marisha, too, squirmed at the subject. "You know you cannot control somebody's life and worry about their romantic involvement when they are used to going out and saving galaxies every few days. Sharie is mature enough to handle that, so she is mature enough to understand her own heart, and what it desires." She glanced sideways at Jeanette. "Does her being involved with Carlos bother you?"  
  
"...A little," Jeanette admitted quietly. "It is just that Sharie is so young, and..." she stopped herself just in time. Supposedly, the topic of Nikita, Trey's first (and ultimately tragic) love was something known only to Sharie, Trey, herself, and Trey's current girlfriend, Delphine. Jeanette was unaware, like anyone else, that Sharie had also let Carlos in on the secret. "...And I do not want her to get hurt," she finished, a bit lamely.  
  
Marisha decided it was time to defend the boy. "Carlos is the finest boy I have met," she admitted. "He would never intentionally hurt Sharie, and he is wise well beyond his years. He pulled Sharie out of a deep chasm I feared she would never even surface above again. She still suffers in ways I cannot describe, but she is finally learning to accept somebody as a pillar to lean on once in a while. And more importantly, to open up a bit."  
  
"I saw that," admitted Jeanette, watching her daughter happily do demonstration after demonstration. Carlos had had to leave after staying only two days on Triforia, not long enough for Jeanette to see him much. Delphine had left soon after. "Carlos does seem like a fine boy, and he is a Power Ranger. That takes great responisiblity. Maybe I should make more of an effort to get to know him." She sighed, and something about her purple eyes made Marisha realize something.  
  
"And...you are also worried about losing her, and Trey, so soon after you have been given this second chance together," she finished, and saw Jeanette flinch, then nod.  
  
"I'm afraid that is exactly it. I did not get to see my little girl grow up, Marisha. You did. Trey...well, that is different, he is an adult. But I missed him as terribly. And they are both Power Rangers, powerful ones."  
  
"You were a Power Ranger also, once, were you not?" asked Marisha. "Before you gave your powers to your son?"  
  
Jeanette nodded. "I gave them to him when he was about a century old. I had had them since I was two thousand years old, and I felt I had had them long enough. I got them from my mother, she got them from hers. Before that, they had belonged to the men of the family for six generations."  
  
Marisha raised an eyebrow at her, and Jeanette got an inkling of what she was thinking. "No, it was not sexism. That does not exist in our society. It was simply the fact of the eldest child being the son, or the next heir proclaimed, happend to be male. Trey may very well one day give the powers to his own child of his choosing."  
  
What about the title of Lord of Triforia?" asked Marek, who had been listening to the whole conversation. "I thought Sharie had that, or is it only until Trey has a child of his own?"  
  
"No, I am afraid that is pretty much permanent. Trey had been under the impression too long that he would never marry or have a child of his own, so I was not surprised when Sharie naturally got that title," sighed Jeanette. "Besides, she is so much younger than Trey it might as well be this way. But it also makes little difference. Triforia is for the most part democratic, and people have much say in their lives. He only makes the final decision on the most important of matters, and he always listens to the public, usually ultimately deciding on their behalf," she explained. "Matters of war and battles are also basically under his jurisdiction."  
  
A curious question nagged at Marisha, and she hesistated to ask it, for fear of offending. Jeanette noticed her hesistancy, and smiled. "Ask anything. It is highly unlikely it will be found offesive, since you are an offworlder merely wanting to know more."  
  
"Well...." stumbled Marisha. "What if the people are unhappy with their ruler? If he does not make sound, wise decisions, or is purposely negelctful?"  
  
"I think I see what you are asking," answered Jeanette levelly. "It has only happened once in history that I can recall. About fifty million years ago, one of the rulers was said to have been attracted by the dark side. Triforia nearly collapsed under his guidance, and he was ousted. He was taken prisoner, then it was discovered he had been placed under an evil spell, and not willingly. Once the spell was removed, he was cured, but declined to resume his post. He was too ashamed, though everyone ceased to blame him. He gave the post to his daughter. No, for the most part, Marisha, every Lord or Lady of Triforia has done their job wisely and well, my son no exception. I am very proud of him, and I have no doubt Sharie will do the same."  
  
Sharie had broken away from the group of children, and was headed back their way. A dark shadow of worry had crossed her face, and it instantly raised Jeanette's internal alarms.  
  
Marisha had noticed, too. "What is wrong, child?" she could not help but ask, placing her arm around her neice. "You look haunted. What has happened?"  
  
"I don't know," Sharie whispered, fear in her voice. "I just sense something is wrong. Dreadfully wrong." Her eyes widened as the feeling hit her anew, and she gasped, "I am almost sure of it! Something is wrong with Carlos--with the Lightstar Rangers. They need help!"  
  
Everyone but Marisha and Marek looked surprised. The latter two were used to Sharie's otherworldly displays, and knew that she had indeed probably sensed the group in trouble, despite her mental barriers keeping most of the interference out.  
  
Then Trey also began to squirm, for he was also more attuned to the Astro Rangers than most would think. They were his friends. "She may be right," he admitted.  
  
Just as Sharie was about to reach for her communicator and contact Carlos, to ask if everything was all right, her communicator went *beep beep beep, beep beep beep* that told her she was recieving an emergency trasmission. She tuned into the channel.  
  
"Sharie! Can you hear me! Madre de Dios, please answer!" It was Carlos, and he sounded desperate.  
  
"Carlos?" Sharie kept her voice calm, since Carlos's tone said he was not far from panic. "What is wrong? I am picking you up, but just barely."  
  
"Sharie? Thank goodness." Carlos sounded faint, like he was barely conscious. "We....and the Phantom ranger...we need help. He was helping us....we are injured, I think. I cannot reach the others...enemy is gone...but...."  
  
"Carlos! Stay on the line and talk to me," Sharie encouraged. "Where are you?"  
  
His reply became weaker. "Nav systems....offline...I think...we are a few light-years outside the Triforian system...."  
  
Trey had activated his own communicator, but could barely hear Carlos's weakening voice. "We will come at once," he said. "Just hold on, Carlos."  
  
A faint, "Mm-hm...." was heard, then the link went completely static. Sharie felt a dreadful sense fill her, and she cried out, "Carlos! Do you read me? Carlos?"  
  
No response. Sharie went sheet-white as she tried to think. "We have to get together a medical ship, and quickly. I have a feeling they are badly injured."  
  
Jeanette spoke up at once. "I will go as well. I am a trained physician, I might be able to help."  
  
She was echoed immediately by Marisha. "Let me go also," she said. "I am also a doctor, and I am human, like them. You," she turned to her husband. "you should remain here, just in case we have a bad problem. We may need you then."  
  
He nodded just as Trey came running up. "I have dispatched a medical ship, and it is in orbit," he said quickly. "It is waiting for us onboard. The only Zords on Triforia right now are still too damaged to do much. The medical ship can defend itself if need be."  
  
"Did you ever expand on your medical knowledge?" asked Jeanette to her son as soon as they had boarded. "We may also need your help in case things are bad."  
  
He nodded. "I am always up-to-date on emergency procedures," he confirmed. "And Sharie drilled a bunch of extra things into my head recently. I will be able to help in most ways necessary."  
  
He stayed at helm while the three women went down to the medical bay in preparation to recieve possibly critically injured Rangers. It did not take them long to find the battlesite and the Megaship. The ship was limping along, aimlessly, and it seemed almost entirely dark. The hull was obviously damaged, and there were many other scars of battle on the ship that could be detected.  
  
As he scanned for further damage, Jeanette was busy with 3-D images of the human body, memorizing them and how it was supposed to function. Thanks to her photographic memory, she needed only a few minutes, then she was ready to go.  
  
"I cannot hail them," said Trey, concern written across his features. "DECA's communications systems must be down."  
  
Sharie frowned, considering the best action. "Trey, why don't you and Aunt Marisha stay here, in the Medical bay, and prepare to recieve the injured. Mother, you and I can go over and explore the ship."  
  
Jeanette nodded in agreement, holstering a phaser pistol to her waist, just in case. Holding an emergency medical kit in one hand, Sharie holding another, they teleported to the Megaship.  
  
****  
  
It was very dark inside. The corridor on which they found themselves was a terrible mess. Broken pipes and wires were everywhere, and heavy gasses spilling from the pipes gave the whole place a foggy look and made it difficult to see the floor. Both women hoped they did not turn an ankle or miss somebody while they searched.  
  
"DECA?" Sharie called out to the ship's sentient computer. "Are you active?"  
  
For a dreadful moment, there was no response, then a nearby tiny camera blinked weakly. "Sharie?" DECA asked faintly. "Is that you? Who is that with you, or am I seeing double?"  
  
Sharie's lips quirked despite themselves. Did everyone have to observe she was almost her mother's mirror image, except she was smaller and her ear shape was different?  
  
"No, you are not seeing double, DECA. This is Jeanette Triesta, my mother. Where is everybody?"  
  
"I don't know, a lot of my internal sensors are fried. Divatox attacked because she felt we were getting too close to Zordon. The results you can see for yourself."  
  
"Then it looks like we have to blind-search," Sharie observed. "Stay nearby, DECA."  
  
"I will do my best, Sharie."  
  
****  
  
"Where are we?" asked Jeanette as they walked carefully down the corridor.  
  
"The engine room should be close," answered Sharie, observing the markings on the doors. "Yes, here we are."  
  
The door was malfunctioning, and only half opened enough so that they could barely get inside. It was dark inside, except for a few dim emergency lights, just enough to point out a boy in a blue-trimmed jumpsuit lying face-down in the floor.  
  
"That is TJ, the Blue Ranger," Sharie whispered. Jeanette made her way to him, and gently knelt at his side, turning the dark-skinned boy over. His tunic had blood on it, she could see several cuts and bruises on his skin. Her scanner showed a concussion and three broken ribs, and she could feel a cracked collarbone.  
  
At her gentle touch, he moaned softly and his inky-dark eyes opened dazedly. "Sh-sharie?" he asked, disoriented. "Wait a sec...you are not her, or you grew tall really quickly." he stumbled with a smile, but uneasily.  
  
Jeanette smiled at how he attempted humor, even when injured. "No," she said quietly, because she was sure that with the concussion, her voice must be ringing in his ears. "I am not Sharie. I am her mother, Jeanette. Sharie recieved a distress call from this ship. Lie still now. We are here to help."  
  
He was too disoriented to ask who else had come, so he just nodded and drifted back unconscious. Jeanette did what she could to stabalize him.  
  
****  
  
Meanwhile, Sharie had climbed the ladder to the upper level. The gassy fog was thick here, so she had some trouble finding Ashley. The girl was, though conscious, in a great deal of pain, her leg trapped under numerous pipes and other rubbish. She, too, was covered with cuts and bruises.  
  
"Sharie...thank goodness you came..." Ashley's voice was hoarse with pain as Sharie moved the rubble off her leg. "We were attacked..."  
  
"Sh, I know," Sharie whispered, scanning her for other injuries. She wondered how Ashley was awake, with a fractured skull and shattered wrist. Her gallbladder was also bleeding, indicating internal injuries.  
  
"I came with my mother, brother, and Aunt Marisha," she whispered to distract the girl from the pain. "We are here to help. I am going to put you in a temporary drug-induced coma, Ashley. You have some nasty injuries, and it will be better for you to be relaxed. Now, *don't worry*," she assured the girl. Ashley barely had time to nod, wincing in pain from the movement. Quickly, Sharie pressed a hypospray to the girl's neck, and felt her sigh as she relaxed. Quickly, after stabalizing her further, Sharie quickly typed some instructions on a computer padd, for Marisha and Trey, before she had the girl teleported to the medical bay.  
  
When Sharie made her way back over to her mother, TJ was also gone. "There is nobody else here," she told Jeanette. I want you to find your way to the Shuttle bay, someone might be there. I will go up to the bridge."  
  
"That is fine, but where is it?" asked Jeanette. "I have no knowledge of this vessel."  
  
"It is three decks above this one," whispered Sharie, thinking. "Ask DECA for directions, or if you run into a little robot called Alpha six. He will know. Be careful."  
  
The two women nodded and hugged breifly before going their seperate ways.  
  
****  
  
Jeanette made her way three decks down, then, to her consternation and embarassment, found herself lost. *I knew I should have looked at the map before coming* she almost cursed herself.  
  
"Ay-yi-yi!" a voice startled her, causing her to jump. She had felt no other presence here, so that was odd... "I was almost sure you were Sharie, but you are too tall! Who are you?"  
  
Jeanette turned to see a little robot, of the Alpha line of models, stumbling through the debris toward her. Jeanette relaxed, for she knew of the Alpha models under Zordon's guidance. They were on the side of good, not like the ones who had helped hold her captive...  
  
"I am Jeanette, Sharie's mother," she said, hoping the robot would believe her. "I assume you are Alpha six. I am here to help, but I need directions to the shuttle bay."  
  
She was sure she heard Alpha sigh with relief. "You are close. Two doors down, to the left."  
  
"Thank you," Jeanette smiled at the little robot, who seemed to be in a type of self-repair mode. "Do you need any help?"  
  
"Ay-yi-yi, no, I will be fine," said the robot. "Just find the other rangers. I am having difficulty moving, and as a result I am of little help. Good luck."  
  
Jeanette nodded at thanks again, then quickly stumbled down the hall. She rapidly found the shuttle bay, and the malfunctioning doors opened just enough for her to squeeze her slender body through.  
  
It was dim inside, but not as much as the other areas. Still, Jeanette quickly spied a girl in pink slumped, unmoving, against one of the walls. Even from a distance, she did not look in good shape.  
  
Worried, Jeanette got closer, careful not to touch her in case her injuries were severe, which Jeanette suspected they were. The girl's breathing was wheezy, and her lips had taken on a bluish shade. Jeanette passed her scanner over the girl, and her fears were confirmed. Punctured lung, broken ribs, severe concussion, severe internal injuries. They could possibly prove fatal unless she got medical attention right away.  
  
Biting her lip, Jeanette did her best to try and stabalize the girl. Vaguely, she tried to recall the girl's name...Cassie, had Sharie said? Telepathically, she contacted her son. "Trey, I have found Cassie. She is in critical condition. As soon as I teleport her over, place her in emergency stasis. She needs extensive medical care, and emergency surgery."  
  
"Acknowledged." she heard the worry in her son's tone as Cassie vanished. Jeanette was worried also, but Cassie would remain alive as long as she was in stasis.  
  
No one else was in the room. With a sigh, Jeanette expanded her telepathic range to sense the nearest mind. She found one--just outside the room and down the hall, near one of the storage rooms. As quickly as she could stumble down the hallway, Jeanette made her way there.  
  
She turned over a boy with dark hair, streaked with a golden color. His tunic was red, and he wore a locket around his neck. This had to be Andros, the team leader. He had obviously been thrown. She discovered, upon examination, yet another concussion, cracked vertebrae (it was a miracle his spinal cord had not been touched, she mused), and a busted rib.  
  
*Poor boy,* she thought silently as she stabalized him, with instructions for Trey, before he disappeared in a flash of red.  
  
****  
  
Meanwhile, Sharie managed to make her way to the bridge. The doors barely admitted her, and the whole room was dark, save for the emergency lights.  
  
To her relief, and yet her agony, she found Carlos at last. He was sitting weakly in the chair by the comm system in a way that made it plain that he had barely dragged himself into it to issue the distress call. He was barely conscious, and vaguely responded to her touch.  
  
"Sharie..." he glanced at her and smiled weakly, but was squinting at her, sure signs of yet another concussion. "Querida...you are here..everyone is hurt..." he winced in obvious pain. "Including myself, so it seems," he grunted, his voice raspy as he clutched his chest, coughing.  
  
Sharie scanned him quickly, attempting to make light of the situation. "Ouch. I should say you might hurt. Several broken ribs, punctured lung, your concussion...you must be in agony. Where is the Phantom Ranger?"  
  
"By the main viewscreen," gasped Carlos. "He was over there trying to keep the ship in one piece when the panel literally exploded in his face. He was thrown to where he is now....and has not moved since. I tried...to help him...." Carlos's breath grew more raspy, "But I could...not get...up..."  
  
"Easy, Carlos," Sharie assured him as she stabalized him. "I'll tend to him. I know the...physiology of his kind pretty well. I will have to anesthize you for teleportation and treatment. My mother will be there helping to care for you, and Aunt Marisha and Trey, of course. They came to help. Soon, we will leave for Triforia, and haul your ship and Phantom's back for repairs."  
  
Carlos gasped slightly. "The Phantom Ranger, what about--"  
  
She was swift to assure him. "Don't worry, I will respect his privacy as much as I am able." She pressed the hypo to his arm, and she felt him relax. She brushed his loose hair back from his forehead, and gently pressed her lips to his temple.  
  
"I love you," she whispered, and knew somehow he was aware of that much. "You will be all right, Carlos. I promise." Her smile was gentle as he vanished in a rush of black.  
  
Tending to the Phantom Ranger, as she had before, Sharie felt a sense of Deja vu. It was almost like the Gold Ranger again, except that there was nothing familiar about this particular ranger. She was certain that his personal identity was a total stranger to her. She also had no desire to find out his identity--she had more respect for his group than that, she mused as she stabalized him for teleportation. *Although I know a great deal more about his group than I can ever dare tell--*  
  
From what her scanners told her, he had many of the now-typical injuries the others seemed to have. Bruises, lacerations, a bad head blow--with proper care, he should be fine, she mused. She had to search for a place to place the hypospray, since it was unable to penetrate his armor, but she did find a place at last at the base of his neck. Then she got in contact with Trey.  
  
"Trey, I have the Phantom Ranger stabalized. How many others are on board?"  
  
"Everyone else, including Mother. However, Cassie's life is in grave danger, and she needs emergency surgery. Mother is too new to human physiology, and Marisha would rather trust you with the medical equipment on board, since she is unfamiliar with much of it. For now, though, Cassie is in stasis."  
  
Sharie frowned, worried, but only said, "All right. Teleporting now."  
  
****  
  
As soon as she was back on board her ship, Sharie left the general care of the less-injured patients to the others, while Trey made arrangements to get the two ships back to Triforia for repairs. She, on the other hand, rushed Cassie into emergency surgery in the next room, for the poor girl was in bad shape. When she got down to it, though, she was relieved to find that while the girl was deathly ill, her injuries were not complicated to treat. She would be fine soon. She applied the dermal regenerators and supersitiously crossed her fingers for luck.  
  
****  
  
All of her patients were still out cold, Jeanette mused, as she continued to treat their various injuries. Marisha was working to save Ashley's shattered leg, for it had been broken severely in three places. Jeanette herself was nearby, tending to TJ, when she heard a faint moan coming from the Phantom Ranger's direction. Jeanette turned in time to see him moving slightly.  
  
As she approached him, she saw him attempt to sit up--and fail. He slumped back, his visor turned in her direction. "Who are you?" he gasped.  
  
"My name is Jeanette Triesta, former Lady of Triforia. You are on a Triforian Medical ship, for my daughter Sharie recieved a distress call from Carlos."  
  
He relaxed, but barely. "The others--are they okay?" he asked.  
  
Jeanette cast a glance at Marisha, who also came up. "They will be fine, mostly," she said in a low tone. She hesistated, but Sharie had told her that the Phantom Ranger and Cassie were romantically involved. "But Cassie is critically injured. Sharie has her in emergency surgery."  
  
That brought about an immediate reaction, and Jeanette also remembered that Sharie had told her about the involvement of these two. He tried to sit up again, and still failed. "Will she...be all right?" he rasped.  
  
Jeanette decided to be honest. "I am not sure entirely. But my daughter has very capeable hands. Cassie's life was in immediate danger and her injuries were severe, but Sharie is a good medical doctor and she knows human physiology a lot better than I do. I have little doubt Cassie will be fine."  
  
He slumped back down on the biobed. "I cannot help but worry," she heard him whisper, more to himself than to her. Jeanette quirked an eyebrow but said nothing, only picked up a regenerator attachment that hooked up to his biobed. "This will finish healing the lacerations on your chest, then you will be fine." She saw him jerk in surprise and immediately understood the reason.  
  
"Do not worry," she assured him swiftly, "I have respected your privacy, and I assure you I have no idea who you are, per Sharie's warning about Elteran Voyagers. I can treat injuries without seeing your face...heaven knows I did so often enough with my own son."  
  
He relaxed somewhat. "Thank you...." he whispered. "Jeanette Triesta..." he whispered. "I seem to recall hearing you were rescued recently..."  
  
"Yes, my son and daughter heard of my wherabouts, after nearly twelve years," said Jeanette softly. "I was rescued only a week ago. If you want to hear the rest of the story, ask Sharie or Carlos, since he seems to know her best. Don't ask Trey--he still feels a little too guilty on the matter."  
  
Just then, Sharie came out of the other room. Jeanette waved her over. "Will Cassie be all right?" she asked.  
  
Sharie smiled tiredly. "She will be fine. She is stable and I have treated her injuries. She is healing, but that is all. She will awaken sooner or later."  
  
"Then tell that to the Phantom Ranger. He has been worried sick about Cassie." said Jeanette, jerking her head in the direction of the biobed. "He will be glad to hear it."  
  
As Sharie nodded and went in the direction of the Phantom's bed, Jeanette heard a faint moan coming from Carlos's bed. She went over as his dark eyes blinked open. He looked at her dazedly for a moment, then his eyes twinkled faintly in a way that suddenly reminded her of Teryan, her deceased husband.  
  
"Hello, Jeanette," he whispered faintly, swallowing. "Am I still in one piece?"  
  
She could not help but smile. It was apparent to her now how hard Carlos worked for his team, and what it must have cost him to stay awake to make sure they were rescued. His sense of loyalty and devotion was stunning, and she admired him more and more. "Yes, you are," she answered with her own smile. "You, and everyone else will be fine."  
  
"Good..." he rasped painfully. "Just another day in the life of a power ranger..." he chuckled suddenly, and gasped in pain.  
  
"Easy there," said Jeanette, pressing a hypo into his arm. "Take it easy, you are not fully recovered yet. What is so funny?"  
  
He smiled, squinting slightly. "I still cannot see right. But Jeanette...your hair is unmistakable. It was Sharie's hair, or rather a brilliant flash of gold, that first caught my attention the first time I saw her." He sighed and his eyes ceased to squint, but grew dreamy. "But it was her eyes, her soul, that pulled me in..." he blushed suddenly. "Sorry. Probably a dumb idea, getting fawn-eyed around her mother..."  
  
Jeanette laughed outright. In that one last moment, any lingering reservations she might have had about Carlos dissolved away. *My daughter could not have chosen a better person.* "No, that is perfectly all right. I like you, Carlos, and I am finally convinced that you are the best person for my daughter."  
  
"I knew you were a bit uneasy," he admitted ruefully, and she could see the relief in his dark eyes. "I did not want to push it, you could have forbidden it altogether, probably..."  
  
"When it comes to my daughter's happiness, it is not my affair who she loves," said Jeanette in a low tone. "I just don't know you that well, Carlos, and for awhile I was a bit blindsided by the fact you are human, and I apologize."  
  
"No apology necessary," said Carlos, chuckling a little less painfully. He paused, then asked, amused, "Is this where I hear the 'but-you-better-treat- her-right-or-else' lecture?"  
  
Jeanette laughed again. "That did not exactly cross my mind, but I trust you to not hurt Sharie in any way. What you do with your relationship, how far you take it, is not my concern, let me put it that way. I do not wish to see you or Sharie hurt in this venture, so I can only wish you luck."  
  
He smiled faintly, wistfully. "Thank you for trusting me so much," he whispered. "I think it would mean a lot to me and Sharie both, to have your blessing."  
  
"You have it," laughed Jeanette softly. "You want me to make it official?"  
  
He blushed, but smiled. "No thanks. Your word is enough to convince me, gallant lady."  
  
He could not quite stifle his smile as Sharie came up at that moment. "He in one piece, Mother?" she asked, a slight grin on her face. Carlos did not doubt that she had heard at least part of their conversation.  
  
"He is," Jeanette said, grinning mischeviously and managing to look exactly like Sharie at that instant. "I will let you two talk alone for awhile." As she walked away, she gave them a big wink.  
  
Sharie blushed redder than Carlos had ever seen her. "Well..." she began. "I can see Mother finally put her stamp of approval on you."  
  
"She did," said Carlos, eyes twinkling. "She is a good woman, Sharie. I am proud she *does* approve, somebody like that."  
  
Privately, Sharie was quite delighted to hear that. It meant that Carlos saw very highly of her mother, and she knew now that Jeanette saw him highly, too. At last, she could feel peaceful about the whole situation.  
  
****  
  
A short while later, Sharie startled her mother when she glanced up from TJ's beside. "It is Cassie," she said quickly, moving toward the door into the next room. Jeanette realized the girl must have had her mind open for changes. "She is awake."  
  
"Good," Jeanette called after her. "Tell her the Phantom Ranger is just fine."  
  
Cassie's eyes were open, but dazed, when Sharie entered the room.  
  
"Sharie?" she squeaked uncertainly. "Wha--why am I---oh, no!" Sharie saw recognition fill Cassie's dark gaze, and the girl gasped and attempted to sit up, but a sharp bolt of pain caught her by surprise. She gasped and lay back down quickly. "TJ...Phantom...Andros..." she sputtered wheezily.  
  
"Easy, Cass," said Sharie gently, her hands firmly pushing her friend back down onto the biobed. "You were severely injured and had to be put through emergency surgery, and you will be fine. So will everyone else. They are in the next room."  
  
"Phantom--" she started to say, but Sharie stopped her. "He is fine. He has been worried about you, but I have tried to set his mind at rest. And before you ask, yes, his privacy has been respected." Sharie tinkered over Cassie for a few more minutes, then asked, '*Now* I would like for you to try and sit up. You have a regenerator strapped to you underneath your shirt, but it should not hinder your movements too much."  
  
Cassie nodded obediently. She did not protest when Sharie placed one hand underneath her head to help lift her into a sitting position, but she could not hide her uncomfortable squirm when the result produced a powerful wave of pain through her skull and chest. "Ahhh..." she gasped softly.  
  
Instantly, she felt cool plastic press against her neck, and the soft hiss of a hypospray. She felt her muscles relax as the painkiller took effect, and the pounding in her head and chest ceased.  
  
"Thank you," she murmured gratefully, really opening her eyes this time and looking around her. The dizziness was gone as well, and she could breathe again, so her lungs had to be in functioning order.  
  
Sharie smiled, then walked away about five paces. She turned back to Cassie and held up three fingers. "How many?" she asked.  
  
Cassie shrugged, but she knew Sharie was testing her concussion. Everything was still a bit blurry, but not as bad as when she had been thrown and it had started to fade....  
  
"Three," she ventured. Sharie heard the guessing in her voice, though, and frowned. She picked up an optical regenerator, and Cassie flinched at the bright light shining in her eyes.  
  
"Just a slight misalingment," Sharie sounded relieved. "You must have really had your senses knocked out of you, Cassie. Mother says she found you huddled against the wall, I don't see how you managed to sustain so many injuries."  
  
"I was knocked around quite a bit," Cassie admitted. "I felt the pain in my head, chest, and midsection before I hit the wall. The wall was the last place I crashed before I lost consciousness."  
  
Suddenly, she blinked. "Wait a sec, who found me? Did you say your *mother* found me?'  
  
"That is what I said. She is a doctor herself, like Aunt Marisha. They, and Trey, came along to help me with you guys. Carlos managed to send a distress call, though he was badly injured himself."  
  
Next, her attention turned to Cassie's legs. They were one of the few parts of Cassie's body that had not sustained heavy damage, a turned ankle at worst. But Cassie was still rather weak, Sharie hoped they could hold her weight so she could walk.  
  
"Would you mind swinging your legs around?" Sharie asked her friend, carefully watching to make sure Cassie did not do anything that could hurt herself further. Cassie looked at her dubiously for a moment, then obeyed her.  
  
"Now, grab onto my arm," Sharie instructed, placing a hand to Cassie's back for support. "I am going to see if you can stand. Your legs were mostly unhurt."  
  
"Well," Cassie grunted, scooting forward and preparing to slip off the biobed, "Let's thank heavens for small mercies." Her smile belied her tone, though, and Sharie smiled back as Cassie clutched her arm tight and slid slowly off the edge of the bed.  
  
Sharie braced herself and held Cassie tightly, to support her, once the girl had her feet under her. Then very, very gently, she lessened her grip, letting Cassie slowly take on more of her own weight.  
  
Cassie wavered at first, but by the time Sharie was only lightly clutching her hand, she was standing solidly.  
  
"Very good," Sharie encouraged. "Now let's see if you can remain vertical while walking."  
  
Cassie laughed softly, and started to take a step...then her knees gave way. She gasped in surprise.  
  
"Easy," said Sharie, bracing herself to support the girl. "Take your time. I am going to help you into the next room, since you are well enough for that now. Then you will go onto the biobed next to Phantom and you will stay there until you can walk solidly, okay?"  
  
"Okay," Cassie panted, bracing an arm around Sharie's neck while Sharie kept one around her waist. Together, they made their way to the door, which obediently opened to admit them into the next patient room.  
  
Marisha looked up first, then nudged Jeanette, who was stainding right next to her examining Ashley. They both cast a glance over, grinning broadly, catching everyone else's attention.  
  
Cassie flashed them all a big smile, and Sharie could not keep one off her own face as she led Cassie to the empty patient bed. With a tired sigh, Cassie leaned against it, not getting up on it until she had reached for Phantom's hand and held it, hard, reassuringly, before Sharie gave her a slightly impatient nudge.  
  
*Later,* Cassie heard in her mind. *When you can walk unaided, Kapeesh?*  
  
Although Cassie obeyed, scooting backwards up onto the bed, she was surprised. Sharie so rarely resorted to telepathy for anything, it had been a bit unexpected.  
  
It was then that the new visitor in the room finally registered on Sharie's attention span. Turning, she grinned in surprise when she witnessed the newcomer. "Troy!"  
  
"Hey, Sharie," he greeted her cheerfully as she came over to clasp his hands. "What are you doing here?" she asked Trey's best friend, with a delighted grin.  
  
Troy's blue eyes twinkled into hers. "What, I can't drop by casually?" he asked teasingly. Sharie shook her head, amused, and he grinned broadly at her. "Actually, though, I was trying to get into contact with Trey, and when he told me what was going on, I decided to offer my services. I can help you get the ships repaired," he said, casting a quick glance at Andros. "I presume you own the ship."  
  
"DECA and I have worked together for a long time," said Andros with a shrug. "I don't 'own' her. But sure you can help, and thanks for asking. Alpha is probably already doing repairs over there, if he has fixed himself by now."  
  
It was the first time they had met, but everyone liked Troy. He was a good boy--boy being a relative term for his three hundred years--who always smiled and oozed warmth from every pore. He was always trying to help others, and Sharie knew of his secret desire to actually become a Power Ranger one day. He was certainly of the right material.  
  
Troy and Trey had been best friends ever since Troy was about fifteen, just starting to change from a short boy with unruly black hair into a tall, muscular man with short, gleaming black hair and deep, deep blue eyes that could burn hotter than the hottest of blue flames, or melt your heart with the puppy-dog appeal. It sort of made Sharie wonder why Troy did not at least have a girlfriend by now, with eyes like that.  
  
There was one other reason Troy and Trey were such close friends. Troy was the only surviving sibling of Trey's first love, Nikita. Like Sharie, he had been a surprise baby to his parents, who had raised Nikita and another boy who had died many years before. Like an older brother, Trey had sort of taken the boy in when they first met, and were the closest of friends as a result.  
  
Everyone was talking at once, and Sharie almost did not hear the ships computer announce, "vessel approaching."  
  
Startled, she held up her hand for silence. "Locate," she ordered the computer, a frown on her face.  
  
"Just entering the system. Vessel matches Dryseran specifications, but is badly damaged." announced the computer after a moment.  
  
Sharie's eyes widened in surprise, but before she or Trey could say anything, the computer went on cheerfully, "We are being hailed. Pilot of ship identifies himself as 'Dyson'."  
  
Sharie sighed in relief. "Put him through," she said, pouncing on the nearest viewscreen.  
  
Dyson's familiar face peered at them a moment later, and he looked haggard. His ship was shaking, and it was obvious it was not going to hold together much longer.  
  
"Need a hand, Dyson?" asked Sharie, trying to keep her tone cheerful. Dyson looked like he had just come through another war, his jaw set with a purpose.  
  
"Sharie?" he asked in relief. "Boy, am I glad to see a familiar face. Would it be intrusive if I asked to come aboard? I am now a wanted man on my own planet, and my ship is about to tear itself apart."  
  
"Of course, Dyson," Sharie said at once. "Of course, you are always welcome on Triforia."  
  
"Thank you," he said gratefully. "One more thing, that may concern you. I have someone else with me, and she needs help badly. I am glad you are a medical ship, but it may concern you when you realize who she is."  
  
Sharie did not even ask. "Bring her over," she said at once. "I will teleport you before your ship goes nova." She reached out and slapped a button near the viewscreen, it unfolded another patient bed.  
  
Dyson nodded his head before his communication systems became full of static and snow, then black out all together.  
  
"He is the one that helped you?" asked Marisha softly, looking at Sharie with astonished eyes. "I thought you said that he was Dark Dresden's right- hand man."  
  
"He was--and he was also my jailer," said Jeanette, tears of gratification in her eyes at seeing her friend again. "But he was a good, honest man, forced into the role he played. He is one of the very few honest Dryserans I think exist. He also helped me escape my prison after Dark Dresden was killed. I promised him he would always be welcome on Triforia."  
  
"He is the one who spoke to me in the bar, all right," mused Troy as Sharie finished readying things. I am glad he could be trusted."  
  
"Teleporting now," said Sharie, letting the white swirl of light fill the room. When it faded, Dyson stood there, his short black hair mussed and his greenish eyes heavy with fatigue. To their surprise, He carried a small figure wrapped in a shawl, cradling her carefully against his chest.  
  
It was a little girl, maybe eight or nine years old. She appeared to be covered in cuts and bruises, and her skin was red from fever. Her long golden hair was a mass of tangles, and she moaned softly. Her clothes were ragged, and she looked as Dyson said he had been traveling: In flight.  
  
"Lay her here," said Sharie quickly, taking in the girl's injured appearance. Carefully, trying not to disturb her, he did as he was told. Sharie passed a scanner over the girl, noting that the child was indeed Dryseran. She had some nasty superficial injuries, but the cause of her distress was infection and fever, making her ill.  
  
"You said you are now a wanted man," said Sharie, touching the girl's feverish forehead. "Who is this?"  
  
"You would not believe me if I told you," Dyson answered tiredly, nearly jumping when he felt the tap on his shoulder. He turned, and a delighted smile crossed his face when he saw who had tapped him. "Jeanette!"  
  
His exclamation filled the room, and she laughed, hurling herself into his arms. He swung her around, very happy indeed to see her. He finally let her go, and hugged her tightly one more time.  
  
"Oh, Jeanette," he sighed, pulling back to look at her. "So you are indeed safe. I am so happy for you, to see you happy and with your family again."  
  
Her purple eyes misted over, he had done so much for her, she owed him too much. "Thank you, Dyson," she choked. "Thank you for all you have done."  
  
"I echo that sentiment," said Sharie, pressing a hypospray into the child's neck to calm her feverish, restless doze. "Dyson, you worked wonders a week ago. You have my word of honor, and Trey's, that Triforia will shelter you at any time. Although," she paused, "I hope the nature of your crime was not too terrible."  
  
He paled, and sighed, touching the child he had brought in with him. "I have much to tell you," he confessed. "I am a wanted man for two reasons. One, they found out about my involvement with helping Jeanette escape. Another is..." he hesistated. "The child you see before you, she is the daughter of someone dangerous. It is not her fault, she is quite innocent. But because of who her father was, her life became in grave danger after he died. Too many people want to take their revenge on her, and enemies of her father turned the government to a deaf ear to her plight. I had to rescue her before she was murdured or otherwise hurt."  
  
"What did her father do, that was so terrible?" asked Sharie, smoothing the blonde hair back away from the girl's face. She moaned and slept on.  
  
Dyson went terribly pale, and his voice lowered. He ground out, "First of all, I want your word of honor that if I reveal this to you, you will not harden your hearts toward the girl. None of this was her doing. In fact, she frequently suffered from abuse from her own father, and her mother died at birth. More prosecution she does not need."  
  
"She is a child, Dyson,"said Sharie reassuringly. "I don't have to hate her for something a relative may have done. Who is she, though."  
  
Dyson dropped his eyes, then said it very softly. "Look at her closely, her features, her hair, and know her eyes are blue. Whom does she resemble that got killed just weeks ago?"  
  
Sharie's hand paused on the girl's head, and she took another look at the girl, seeing in her mind's eye that same type of hair, those dresden-doll features, and those cold blue eyes that had so horrified her. She drew in a sharp breath.  
  
"Dark--Dark Dresden was this child's father?" she asked, scarcely believeing she was saying this. The thought that that monster had fathered any innocent children left a bitter taste on her tongue.  
  
"Yes," said Dyson softly. "He is. She is his only child, her mother was one of his Dryseran love slaves that died with her birth. He only allowed her to live because he never wanted to take a mate and produce an heir, so he figured this girl was the closest he would ever come. Her mother became pregnant before she could be forcibly sterilized to pervent pregnancy." Dyson made a face. "It did not stop Dark Dresden from taking his anger out on the girl, she has been abused, mostly, and unloved. I need to get her someplace safe, find somebody willing to raise her. I beg of you," he pleaded, his eyes imploring Jeanette and Sharie, "Do not turn your back on this girl because of her father."  
  
Sharie had tears in her eyes, but not from anger or hatred. "Your heart is bigger than this galaxy, Dyson," she whispered thickly. "I would never, *never* turn my back on a child, no matter their father. You may both come to Triforia, we can see about the girl then. I promise you, you will both be safe."  
  
Dyson cast a quick glance to Jeanette and Trey, they both nodded their heads. He relaxed, for he had been right. They were too big-hearted to ignore his plea or his plight.  
  
"I will come," he said, bowing slightly. "And--thank you, so much, for listening and helping this poor child."  
  
"It is the least we could do," said Jeanette quietly. "By the way--what is her name?"  
  
"She was given the name Annika," said Dyson. "It is a wonder Dark Dresden chose it--in our language, it means sunlight."  
  
Sharie went back to treating the girl's infection and applying dermal regenerators to fix her wounds. "Sunlight," she mused. "I sense she is a good girl. I think it fits her perfectly."  
  
****  
  
They were just entering Triforia's system when the girl's eyes fluttered open, and Sharie, bent over her, suddenly found herself staring into deep, deep blue eyes--like Dark Dresden's had been, but without the icy cold hatred.  
  
She did see fear, however, reflecting in the deep depths. "Dyson!" the child squeaked uncertainly, and Sharie could feel the fear radiating from her as the child looked into the eyes of an apparent stranger. "Help!"  
  
She had spoken in the native Dryseran tongue, and Dyson came over to her at once.  
  
"It is all right, these people wish to help," he reassured her, hugging her close while she was on the patient bed. He still spoke in Drysera, and, although Sharie understood him perfectly, it did make her wonder if the child spoke Standard at all.  
  
"Are we safe then, Dyson?" the little girl asked, not releasing her grip of the young man. Her scared blue eyes looked over his shoulder at Sharie's trusting face, and she trembled with fear and mistrust.  
  
"Yes, child, we are. The Triforians have agreed to take us in. They will help us."  
  
"How can they, after what my father did to them?" she pleaded. "Surely it is false!"  
  
Sharie fought to keep from inhaling in surprise. This child certainly had a lot of mistrust for somone her size...and yet, had she herself been much different that day she had been cast out of her own life on Triforia?  
  
"You are an innocent child, and they know that I am a good person," he soothed. "They do not bear a grudge, and they are good people. They wish to help."  
  
"That is right, Annika," Sharie put in, in fluent Dryseran, causing the girl's eyes to widen. "You will be safe on Triforia. I have known Dyson for a long time, I would trust him with my life, as you trust yours with him." She held out a hand to the little girl. "Will you trust me?"  
  
The child stared at the proffered hand for a moment, then looked into Sharie's gentle purple eyes, unlike her father's often cold ones that had so rarely turned warm with her. A sense of trust started to penetrate her mind, and she could not completely resist. Tenatively, she let one arm go from around Dyson's neck, and shyly, almost untrustingly, placed her small hand in Sharie's.  
  
"I have trusted so few people in my life," she murmured. "And yet, I seem to trust you..."  
  
"You can, do not worry," said Sharie, and she was pleased when the girl allowed her to pull her from Dyson and hug her herself. She trembled, as though unused to the feeling, but she also seemed..surprised, and not displeased. She needed love so badly, Sharie reflected.  
  
"How old are you, Annika?" Sharie asked, releasing the girl to check her over again with the scanner. Her injuries were almost healed by then, and she showed no further signs of infection.  
  
"I am nine," she said softly, her eyes growing wide as a strange boy with longish black hair and black eyes came up behind Sharie and flashed her-- yes, her, who so rarely saw it--a gentle, heart-warming smile. It caused a strange tingle, and an all-too familiar yearning to fill her young heart. Shyly, she smiled back, a small smile that seemed to be used little, but it was definetly there.  
  
"I have not heard her speak Standard," he remarked to Sharie in the other language she had heard in the background. It was a pretty sound, like a mixture of bells and brass, a rather unique combination. "Does she not know it?"  
  
Sharie was not sure, but the girl spoke up before she could reply. "I speak this language," she said in an accented voice, lifting her chin. "Just not very often. I have not had to."  
  
Sharie nodded, giving the girl a once-over. "Because no one else on Drysera speaks it?" she asked to distract the child.  
  
"Oh, no. It is spoken quite often, just usually among adults. Children mostly speak the native tongue to each other." She shrugged her tiny shoulders, saying nothing else, but her sad eyes finished her sentence, saying clearly, *Not that I ever had the chance to have friends.*  
  
Jeanette's own heart ached for the child's plight, and she came over, laying a tenative hand on the girl's shoulder. "You will find children on Triforia who would love to play with you," she said softly, as the girl stared up at her with slightly mistrusting eyes still.  
  
"How would they trust me," she said bitterly, "when my father did so much to ruin their lives? People on my own planet tried to *kill* me because of this."  
  
"You are not held accountable for your father's actions," said Jeanette gently but firmly. "What he did he did without conscience. I can see into your soul, child. You have as good a heart as Dyson, and you deserve only the best."  
  
Marisha laid her own hand on the girl's shoulder. "I am not from Triforia, but I have two children visiting there. They are twins your age, named Toby and Tami. They would love to make you their friend, I am sure of it."  
  
The girl looked at every trusting face around her, then buried her face in her hands, utterly tormented still. "No one--has ever been really...kind to me before..." she stammered, clearly unused to this. "Except Dyson...I am not sure what to say."  
  
"You do not have to say anything," Sharie assured her, her arm around the girl and feeling grateful when the child leaned trustingly into her. "I understand your fear. Once I was a scared little girl trying to make a home on an alien world."  
  
To Sharie's surprise, Annika nodded. "You are the girl my father often raved in anger about. From what I understand, he was so furious that you had escaped him....he hid little from me, whether he was being nice to me or taking his anger out on me."  
  
"What a thing to mention to your daughter," Sharie murmured to no one in particular. "No one will hurt you or beat you anymore, Annika. I promise this to you."  
  
"I never want to go back," she murmured fiercely. "In fact," she said suddenly, pulling something from around her neck, "I want to give this to someone good. I have no use for it, but it does not belong in the hands of evil. My father was the last to have it and try unsuccessfully to use it. I don't know what it does exactly, except it is supposed to lead to something powerful."  
  
She handed the pendant to Sharie, who glanced at it and went pale, deadly pale.  
  
"Your father had this?" she asked the child in wonder. Annika nodded solemnly. "He tried over and over again to use it. He could not. Give it to somebody with a good heart, maybe they will be the chosen one to use it, I do not know."  
  
Sharie thought for a moment, then, to everyone's surprise, turned and handed the pendant to Troy. She had clearly remembered his desire to be a ranger himself one day. "Here, maybe you should try it, or pass it on, secretly. You are a warrior at heart, Troy, maybe you will finally realize your dream."  
  
He gaped at her a moment, clearly startled. Yes, it was a dream of his, but he had not expected it to be a major thought in Sharie's mind, or for her to give it to him. Dumbly, he took the pendant and stared at the design on it, a hand holding a slender sword against a starry background.  
  
"And what is it?" he asked softly, holding it up. "Sharie, you acted like you recognized it."  
  
Numbly, she nodded. "I recognize the design. I belive, Troy, that the pendant you now hold is the key to finding the long-lost Nightstriker Warrior powers."  
  
Trey drew in a sharp breath. "I have heard of those," he remarked, his dark eyes thoughtful. "In ancient times, they were ledgendary for what they could do."  
  
"How do you know of the design?" Trey asked, pushing in a bit to get a closer look. Everyone was listening intently now.  
  
"I have been around," she answered. "The Nightstriker Warrior powers are very ancient. They are, in a way, related to Zeo Powers, like mine and Trey's. But they are not Zeo--they are different."  
  
Everyone had gathered round, all ears. This sounded interesting. Sharie took a deep breath and started to tell an ancient tale, one that held them all spellbound.  
  
*Flash*  
  
"In ancient times, the Nightstriker Warrior powers were used for good--the holders of the power simply summoned it from the depths of their own being, for they, and the power, were joined as one--no power coins, crystals, rubies, nothing but their own hearts.  
  
"Thus joined, the holders of the powers had a direct connection to the Morphin Grid, with the essence of the powers and their hearts acting as a focuser. One day, in ancient times, however, there was a fierce battle, between good and evil. Then, the holder of the Nightstriker Warrior powers was a young man named T'Sar. He was a good man and an excellent warrior, never knowing defeat, and many praised him for his bravery and pure- heartedness.  
  
"The reputation of the Nightstriker Warrior powers had spread far and wide. The evil side wanted these powers at all costs, to be used for their own selfish, evil purposes. And they would stop at nothing to get it.  
  
One day, the evil side captured T'Sar. They brought him before the evil Emperor, Tiron. Like any evil person, he threatened to kill T'Sar unless he gave up his powers. Of course, T'Sar refused.  
  
"He had good reason to refuse. If he was to be killed without turning them over to the next warrior, they would dissapate and be no more. Tiron was furious, for he saw that T'Sar had backed him into a corner. T'Sar refused to give up his powers on his own, and if he was killed, Tiron would not get them anyway.  
  
"Finally, Tiron thought of a plan. He challenged T'Sar to a duel. If T'Sar won, he could keep the powers and leave. If he lost, he would have to give up his powers and die. If he refused, his homeworld would be attacked, and countless millions injured. And T'Sar would be killed anyway, for if Tiron could not have them, nobody would.  
  
"T'Sar was forced to agree to his demands. They dueled, all right. It was a fierce and bloody battle. But Tiron enchanted his sword, thereby cheating. His sword found it's mark, and ran T'Sar through, mortally wounding him.  
  
"He proclaimed T'Sar the loser, and the man was forced to give up his powers to Tiron. After it was done, then Tiron had T'Sar tossed into his own ship, banishing him from the solar system to die.  
  
"What was worse, T'Sar's wounds had been left untreated for too long. Festering and infection set in, and T'Sar knew he was dying.  
  
"Tiron's success was short-lived, however, for unbeknownst to both men, the Nightstriker Warrior powers could only be used by the pure of heart. If someone else tried to use them, the powers would destroy them. And that is exactly what happened, for shortly thereafter, Tiron called upon the power. But instead of surging through him and bonding with him, like it should have, they ripped him asunder. Tiron left the living screaming in agony.  
  
"The powers did not dissepate, though, for they sensed T'Sar was still alive. They returned to him, albeit too late. By then, he was too weak, and could not have handled the reintigration process. It only further hastened his demise.  
  
"He knew what he had to do. It was too late to return and get an heir, but he had an old, small Zeo Crystal shard that somehow, through the eons, had mysteriously lost it's power. But it could still support another power source. Somehow, he transferred his powers into the crystal and magically hid it someplace in the universe. He also managed to devise the pendant to help locate and obtain the power, if the person was good and worthy.  
  
"Shortly thereafter, he died. When they found his body, the pendand was beside him, along with a note, telling what he did, and saying that because he was surrounded by evil and was dying, he did not have the time to find an heir for his powers. The note also said his spirit would stay with the pendant until he could guide another worthy person to the power. He would not help those evil or unworthy, only the person whom he saw fit for the Nightstriker Warrior powers. Many people have tried to find and exploit the powers, with no success. Worse, those evil who have searched for the power have discovered a way to use it without being destroyed. How Dark Dresden came to posess the pendant is anybody's guess. Now, Troy, I think it should be yours. Maybe you can find the power and use it for good."  
  
*Flash*  
  
There was a long silence after Sharie had finished her tale. Troy, swallowing, at last managed, "Of course, if I *can* obtain the powers somehow, I will use them for good. But how? The pendant....well, it just looks like a pendant. How can it help me search?"  
  
Sharie searched her memory, then replied, "Legend has it the pendant is activated by a certain word. Unfortunately, the exact word is a mystery. That is why no one can find the powers--I have heard of sorcers and sorceresses who, once they managed to get ahold of the pendant, did nothing but stand before it rattling off every magic word or phrase they could think of, from "Abracadabra" to "Open Sesamie"." She smiled at the mental image. "Of course, none of it ever worked."  
  
"So how could I find out?" Troy asked, looking now a bit askance at the pendant, feeling a deep yearning and frustration to unlock it's secrets.  
  
"I am not sure. T'Sar's note only said that the word was "something that was close to my heart,". But he was a sorcerer as well, he knew lots of magical words. I will do some research, if you want." She shrugged. "I guess what I am trying to say is that I am offering to help you find the powers for yourself."  
  
Trey shrugged and volunteered his efforts as well. "Mostly, we have been occupying our time with repairs to some Zord or other. It would be nice to do something different for a change."  
  
Andros leaned against a nearby biobed, his brown eyes gleaming with interest and curiosity. Ashley, looking at him, smiled to herself. It was an expression that, until about four weeks ago, she had never thought to see on his face. Now, gradually, it was gradually showing up more and more.  
  
"Are you thinking what I am thinking?" she whispered. He nodded, then turned back to the rest.  
  
"How about a few more hands?" he asked. "The past week we have been doing little else but scanning. We found the Voyager Zords, so we have more protection in case of attack. We simply could not call on them this time, because what use is one Megazord against an entire fleet of ships buzzing around it like flies? Just--" he glanced out the window at Triforia below, and of the damaged Megaship in orbit. "Just give us a day or two to repair our Megaship first."  
  
Troy laughed, glancing at the pendant again. It gleamed appealingly at him, and seemed to call something that he could not ignore. "All right, I guess. With so many people helping me, how could I possibly *not* find the powers?"  
  
There was laughter all around.  
  
****  
  
Later, they generally found themselves back at the same park where Sharie and her family had been before that morning's adventure had started.  
  
Annika, upon seeing the other children playing happily, went white and ducked behind Sharie's slender figure.  
  
"What will they say?" she whispered fearfully. "I have almost never played with children, father would not allow it--"  
  
"Come on, you can do it," Sharie encouraged as the girl stayed directly behind her while they approached the children. "They would understand what happened was not your fault, Annika. You will have plenty of friends before you know it."  
  
As an afterthought, she added, "Can you speak telepathically, or use Universal sign language?" she asked.  
  
"No to both. And your cousins are deaf--"  
  
"They can lipread, you will be fine. Just be sure to speak clearly."  
  
Toby and Tami looked up from their game of double-dutch and grinned. They handed the ropes to two other children and raced off toward their cousin, smiles alighting their nearly identical faces.  
  
Their hands started flying before they even stopped. "How did it go?" "Is everyone all right?" "Did anything interesting happen?" "Did you battle the bad guys?" "Did--"  
  
Sharie laughed and held up her hand to stop the flow of motions from both twins. They might have adult intelligence, she reflected, but they were still children.  
  
"Everyone is fine, now," she signed and said aloud at the same time. "And yes, some interesting things did happen. There is someone I would like you to meet, and I hope you will agree to be her friend and help her in everything, though she cannot use telepathy or sign language. Also, her father was an old enemy of mine, do not hate her for this, this was not her fault. You will find some way to communicate."  
  
She pulled a shy Annika from around her. The girl was still pale, her head was bent, and her golden hair hid her lowered blue eyes.  
  
For a moment, the twins just studied her. Then Tami moved, coming over and taking Annika's hand. Surprised, the girl lifted her blue eyes to Tami's gold ones. There was a big smile of welcome on Tami's face, and when Toby came up behind her, a similar smile on his face, a small smile started to creep across her own.  
  
"H-hi..." she stammered nervously. Tami's smile got wider, and she turned and indicated the double-dutch game behind them, then motioned that she desired Annika to join her. Toby mimicked her action, and some of the other children, whom had been watching, started to wave from the group in the distance as well.  
  
Hesistantly, Annika turned and glanced at Sharie, her blue eyes still betraying her nervousness.  
  
"Go on," Sharie encouraged softly. "They will accept you for who you are, no matter who your father was. Just remember to learn how to have fun!"  
  
Another small smile curved Annika's lips, and she allowed Tami to lead her to the waiting group of children. For the first few minutes, though, she was glad Sharie stayed nearby to make sure she was comfortable.  
  
She was right. Sharie had already telepathically told the children who Annika was, and the children bore no grudge. That was typical of their Triforian nature, that if you did not deserve the hatred, you did not get it.  
  
Seeing that Annika was comfortable with the children, and succeeding in her clumsy attempts to communicate with Toby and Tami, Sharie turned back toward the hill, back to her family. Everyone else was there, except Jeanette and Dyson. They were a little ways off, having a private conversation.  
  
"So, what do you plan to do?" Jeanette asked casually as they settled themselves on the hillside, ignoring the curious glances from the few other milling Triforian adults. It was not often a Dryseran showed up on Triforia, much less a previously banished criminal. But, knowing it was not their business, they simply turned and went on with their lives.  
  
"I am not sure as yet," said Dyson uncomfortably, staring out across the park. "Should I be traced to Triforia in the near future, Jeanette, they might send people here to demand my return as a wanted criminal. In light of what happened the last time our people clashed, I doubt if they will start a war, but they may cause trouble until they get me back. That is something I am sure neither of us care to face again."  
  
"Will they be after Annika as well?" asked Jeanette, concerned for the girl's well-being. She cared about the child.  
  
"Probably not. She is not wanted, techincally anyway, but since nobody had much respect for Dark Dresden, they did not care whether she lived or died. I could not stand to see that poor child hurt, kidnapped, or worse, Jeanette. They were already beating down my door with the discovery of my betrayal at the prison compound, I doubted if one more 'betrayal' would make a difference. So I took the child myself. Shortly after I managed to get her out of her home, a terrorist bomb exploded that destroyed the place."  
  
Jeanette caught her breath, staring. "That's horrible!" she gasped. "Going after a child like that, just because her father was not the best of souls!" Then and there, she made a solemn vow. "I hope you keep Annika here. She will be safe as long as she is here, and they forget about her. Maybe you should consider staying, too."  
  
"I don't know," he sighed again. "You saw those other Triforians staring at me. I know they would not be unpolite toward me, because I am no threat to them. But the mere thought of a Dryseran adult among them, especially one who had to work so closely with Dark Dresden, makes them uncomfortable. Annika, being a child, does not have that problem."  
  
"There are plenty who will accept you easily," she argued sensibly. "Mostly, we don't allow old afterechoes of the past to cloud our judgement of today, and what changes might have occured. If that had been the case, Sharie would have instantly rejected Annika the moment she learned of her heritage, something I cannot imagine my daughter *ever* doing." Jeanette decided to press a bit. "What do you prefer to do as an occupation?"  
  
"Not a jailer, that is for sure," chuckled Dyson. "But...I always did have a love for the sciences, Jeanette. Archeology would have been a hobby of mine if I had been allowed to persue it. And," he laughed, "A bartender is not so bad, either."  
  
Jeanette smiled, recalling how Dyson and Troy had first met, and Dyson had been able to, by subterfuge, tell the location of her prison so she could be rescued. He had pretended to be a bartender.  
  
"Why don't you see what you can do," she suggested. "You seem like a man of knowledge, in fact, I know you are. Go and impress some of our scientists....or impress us with your cooking."  
  
They both laughed. "Good luck on your mission," he said, calming down. "While you are gone, I will be 'trying to find my way', as you put it earlier. And may Troy find the powers. He will make good use of them, I am sure."  
  
"Warriors at heart always do," said Jeanette with certainty.  
  
****  
  
Hand in hand, Sharie and Carlos walked the beaches of Triforia, again entranced by the magical effect of the rainbow moonlight, dancing on the waves and shimmering majestically in the air. A breeze sprang up, ruffling Sharie's golden hair and emphasizing how the colors danced, prisim-like, off her platinum curls. The colors reflected from the moon shone like brillant rainbows in her purple eyes, and brought to the front the effect of innocence Sharie herself was certain she had lost too many years ago.  
  
Carlos did not seem to think that, however, as the breeze, warm as it was, grew stronger. Almost reflexively, he pulled her closer, not minding that some of her waist-length curls blew into his face. She went willingly, a smile on her face, for she had missed him sorely the past five days she had not seen him. Finding him injured they way he had been had twisted in her stomach like a swtichblade, and had brought back too many unwanted memories, and she was never so glad as she was now to be in his arms again.  
  
Carlos seemed to understand this, for the feel of his arms around her had a more comforting effect than a passionate one. He was starting to understand, a little, how she thought, but mostly, he knew, she was still an enigma to him, for he knew only the barest fraction of her dangerous life.  
  
"You okay?" he asked softly in her ear as she relaxed against him. It was met with silence for a moment as his hand ildy stroked her hair.  
  
"Si," she murmured in Spanish, making him smile. It still astonished him that she seemed to be fluent in every foreign language they came across, earth or space-oriented.  
  
"I bet you are thinking that today has been a long day, like I have been thinking," he continued in a whisper, looking out at the peaceful ocean before them. "A very long and confusing day."  
  
"Indeed yes," she said, just as softly, hugging him just a bit more tightly. For just a moment, he felt her tremble, then take a deep breath as she attempted to keep herself under control, to keep the barrier in place as she always did.  
  
*Oh, no you don't,* he thought at her, and he heard her inhale sharply. She looked surprised as he turned her to face him and, too fast for her to really react, his mouth almost literally crushed hers.  
  
Almost instantly, she got over her surprise enough to snake her arms around his neck and start to return his kiss with an ardent passion. Because she had not been in full control of her emotions, and had not had the chance to regain her stability, he had ingnited that deep wellspring of fire he knew she posessed, but often hid.  
  
The faintest of moans issued from her throat as she pressed closer to him, desperate for him to not stop. She almost literally forgot her mild distress from earlier, all she could think about was not wanting him to *stop* what he was doing. She was so sick and tired of being interrupted, every time....  
  
His hand came up to the back of her neck, pressing her mouth even harder against his own. His tongue traced at her lips lightly and teasingly, begging for entrance. Ecstacy bolting down her spine, she complied, her lips parting and her tongue meeting his in a brief duel before he slipped past, exploring the exotic shape of her mouth, her teeth, reveling in her sweetness.  
  
His little plan had worked, her mind was no longer on what had happened earlier, but he realized distantly that it was about to go, perhaps, *too* far. He was still concerned that, despite what she said, when the time came, she might still say no, or regret it afterwards.  
  
But her small, willowy body was pressed so hard against his, he was aware of every curve, every soft spot, every part of her intoxicating scent. It was driving him insane, and the increasingly wildness of his kisses showed it. She did not even seem to notice when his hand, completely without his personal will, started to tug at her tucked-in shirt. All she did was lean closer and move against him in a way that just about dropped the last of his defenses. He was about to pull her to the sand and let her searching hands--gods, her *hands*--drive him completely insane.  
  
*It is now or never for tonight* he thought distantly, and, despite how his body screamed at him, he disengaged his lips from hers and removed his hands from her shirt, where he had gotten it untucked and under in the space of seconds. He was sure she whimpered faintly in protest, but she was gasping too hard for him to be certain.  
  
As if his sense of reality had penetrated her mind, she abruptly stepped away from him, dropping her hands and staring at him in utter shock. Gods, she had completely lost it! No thought at all had entered her mind at making him stop. No one had been around, they were alone, with the magical effect of the moons making things even more exotic. She had been upset, and her emotions not completely under as much control as she had liked, but before she could block them, he had pounced on her--and she had instantly lost complete control. Damn! She wanted him so badly it hurt to move! They had both been wanting this for so long, and then he stopped...  
  
"I am sorry..." he rasped, cupping her chin. "You were upset....I should not have let it get so far..."  
  
"You need not have worried," she said between gasps. "I would...not have stopped you."  
  
He opened his mouth, then shut it. "Ohh...Damn it, Sharie! I know you keep insisting that you would not stop me, and maybe you think you feel as ready for this as I do. But how will I *know*," he pleaded. "How can I be sure you will be so certain of what we both want, you will not wake up the next morning with regrets? Ruin our relationship!" He looked deeply into her eyes, and she was touched by the love and tears she saw shining in his own black depths. "I swore to you weeks ago I would never take advantage of you, and I never mean to, if I can help it. That is why I need your help, Querida. I don't want to make a mistake with you!"  
  
But far from his words scaring her or scattering seeds of doubt and uncertainty in her heart, it only made her conviction stronger of what she knew was right. She was a person who was sure of her own heart, and her heart's tuggings had always been right in the end. She knew, with certainty of experience, that this time was no exception. She loved him, her soul and heart were enslaved by him. And she knew that, in place of those, she owned his heart, his essence, and she intended to keep them forever, no matter the consequences.  
  
This she told him in no uncertain terms, her soft voice echoing like the waves of the nearby ocean. The conviction in her eyes, the certainty, and her love, were so evident that it finally convinced him. He pulled her to him again, and kissed her--this time much more gently, more of a kiss of promise than of passion.  
  
"I believe you, " he rasped, a gentle smile on his face. "But I also think we should be in agreement to give this time to sink in. Soon, Querida, just for wisdom's sake...soon."  
  
She nodded, but he was not sure if the suspected reluctance he was seeing was just his imagination or not. After all, stopping themselves just now had been the hardest things they had ever done....  
  
****  
  
Triforia is a world of as many possible climates it is able to have above the temperature best for the tundra. For the most part, this huge, gorgeous paradise yeilded massive oceans, gentle seas, tropical rain forests, arid, dry deserts (although they were rare) and rolling prairies. On this world, the shade of green was not the only indication of healthy life, plants also ranged in blue, pink, purple, and golden hues among it's plantlife, and Cassie thought that one could never claim they had seen it all until they had walked through a shimmering desert with blue and orange cactuses, and purpleish-green grass.  
  
If you did not count the one or two night animals Cassie and Tar'yn, the phantom ranger, spied through the desert grass, they were alone, and as a result, Tar'yn felt safe in demorphing so he could hug Cassie close without fear of hurting her.  
  
"This place is so beautiful," he heard her sigh as they walked a safe distance from the cactuses. "So much more color than Earth's deserts-- except when the cactuses bloom there. Here...it gives one a sense of peace, you know?"  
  
"I understand..." he said in a strangely quiet tone, and she looked at him in surprise. "It is so remeniscent of Eltare. Much of the planet has an arid climate." The homesick look on his face reflected in his tone, and it made her wonder when he had last had a chance to visit his home planet and revel in it's beauty, instead of constantly planning and preparing for war.  
  
"Hey," she whispered tenderly, reaching up and touching his face gently, so his unique green eyes looked into her own inky black ones. "If it bothers you so much, we could..."  
  
"No!" he said, then managed to muster a slightly sad smile. "I like it here, with you at my side." He sighed, and she almost had to beg him to confide in here.  
  
After much prodding, he gave in, but his eyes still looked sad, wistful, like a little boy who desperately wanted a toy he could not have. "It...is hard to describe how right this feels, Cassie, walking freely, unmorphed, with you at my side." He turned to face her, his hand coming up and stroking her cheek, then she closed her eyes as his hand stilled, just staying there, as if he was reveling in the feel of *her* as she was of him.  
  
"My life is so dangerous," he continued softly. "Every time you get near me, Cassie, you are in such great danger....yet I cannot make myself stay away from you. Your soul, your heart, are burned into mine in a way that fires with the embers of eternity. I will never love another, and if I were to lose you, life would no longer have meaning. I would much rather live a civilain life, with you at my side, safe, than to constantly expose you to the danger...but I cannot. There is so much at stake..." he closed his eyes, and she could feel his hand tremble against her cheek. "I still do not understand how you are so easily able to accept it as you do..." he could not continue.  
  
For a moment, Cassie was completely speechless. He often told her how much he loved her, and she could sense it with every nuance of her being, and of course, she responded eagerly in kind. But while Tar'yn was a bit of a poet at heart, trying to *say* what he felt was not usually one of his talents. This was the clearest she had ever heard him speak, and it tore at her heart, and warmed it, to no end. Love should not have to cost them such a price, but they had no choice.  
  
Their love should not have to cause such sadness and fear come to his eyes as she saw now. It was not fear of what they had, it was fear of losing her, and with her, anything resembling a normal life. She suspected that since they had known they were in love, she had become a much more important focus for him than simply protecting the universe. For her, if she were to lose him, the universe might become so cold and unforgivable, would it be worth saving?  
  
Suddenly, all she wanted to do was forget, forget their problems, forget everything but him. With a new determination, she reached up and pressed her lips to his, almost with a vengence.  
  
For a moment, he was frozen in surprise at her sudden movement, when he began to react, it was with the immediate passion she could instill in them both. He was not sure how she did it, but somehow she had the ability to almost instantaneously make him forget everything but *her* when she got close....an ability that, as now, he was often grateful for. He welcomed the distraction of her burning touch and the feel of their souls blending until they lost awareness of where they ended and the other began.  
  
Within seconds, his kisses had become wild, his tongue urging her mouth open so he could slip inside, tasting her exotic sweetness and feeling his blood pound in his ears. His other arm held her slender frame firmly to his muscular one, and his other hand went from her face into her soft, long, silky black hair, releasing the scent of his favorite native Eltaran flower, but what Cassie had said was lilacs on Earth.  
  
His mind not on names, he kissed her harder, his hands wandering all over her, just like she was doing him. There was no time to do something so unwanted as breathing, there was only time to feel her, to kiss her, to make her his entirely.  
  
Only lack of air made him break away from her to gasp several times, then his eyes searched hers, almost desperately, and feeling relief when he saw the answering need there for what he so desperately wanted, with an intensity that seemed unreal, but thank goodness was not.  
  
He pressed his lips to hers once more and slid one arm around her shoulders, the other one behind her knees. Their mouths scorched together prevented her from squeaking in surprise when he caught her up easily in his arms, teleporting them away with a single thought to her bedroom. To him, the promise of her touch was the strongest call in the universe, the one he could never, ever refuse to heed.  
  
****  
  
The next day, a lot of time was spent repairing Zords that had been in disuse for some time, and repairing the Megaship and Phantom's battle cruiser.  
  
Ever since the Dryseran attack on Earth that had nearly destroyed her Sphinx Ultrazord and Trey's Pyramidas, they had been attempting several times to salvage what was left. At first, the zords had been a mess, but gradually, as the week had worn on, they regained their fomer state of repair and durablility. Sharie had even designed some new failsafes to be added to both Zords, and she suggested that they would do well for the other two ships being repaired as well.  
  
"I have something else in mind as well," she told Trey as an afterthought. "I am going to try and design some new adaptors for our powers. What happened to Jason when he took on your powers should never have happened, and he was still ill for weeks afterwards. What if you are forced to do it again someday, or I myself must do it? My powers are so strong, it would be even worse for any non-Triforian to assume their power. If there is any way to circumnavigate it, I intend to do it.  
  
Still, despite the fact she managed to finish repairing her zord, she still found time to spend with her cousins and family. They would soon be returning to Earth, and they would not see her again until this mission was finished.  
  
As for Annika, she possibly already had a home open for her. Both Marisha and Jeanette had considered adopting the child themselves, but a surprise source came to light.  
  
Fourteen-year-old Tasik, whom Troy had been teaching how to play hackey- sack when the whole adventure had started, had immediately become close friends with Annika. Tasik was an only child whom did not make friends easily, and it startled everyone by the close bond he had developed with Annika.  
  
His parents, unable to have more children (to their considerable distress) were delighted their lonely boy had found somebody to confide in and develope a close relationship with. They had very quickly grown to adore the little girl, and were advancing an offer of adoption. And Annika herself was astonished, then delighted, with the prospect of having a family whom would love her at last.  
  
All in all, it was a busy day, bustling and hustling to get the job done. They were preparing for an adventure the next day, an adventure they hoped that held an interesting time for them all.  
  
At the time, no one knew how interesting. Or how dangerous.  
  
****  
  
The Megaship bridge was pretty crowded early the next morning, and with little wonder, with five regular rangers, a ranger whose life was dependent on a ruby, two Zeo Rangers, a Triforian boy only three centuries old, and surprisingly, Jeanette was also there. Sharie had to smile to herself, she well remebered her mother's fondness for mysteries, and this certainly was her element. Plus, she still did not care to be seperated from either of her children for very long. Nobody objected when she had politely requested to come.  
  
Troy, like anyone else who had first come into posession of the pendant, had spent the entire day before trying to figure out the riddle of the small, coin-like necklace with the hand holding a mighty sword aganst the crowd of stars. He had been unsuccessful, also, and was trying not to show his frustration.  
  
Phantom Ranger was there for another reason. "I know T'Sar's writings well," he said, to everyone's surprise. "He was deeply religous, and therefore, therein may lie the clue you need. I cannot remain with you long, but while I am here, I will se what help I can be."  
  
"So...." asked TJ distractedly, staring at the pendant lying on a console, gleaming invitingly. "Just how powerful are these new powers supposed to be?"  
  
"As I said the other day, very powerful," Sharie answered, almost unncessarily. "Maybe at least as powerful as the Gold Ranger powers, and the Astro Powers. And those who hold the power can become invisible, move through solid objects at will, defy gravity, enhance their mental powers, and many other things I may be unsure of."  
  
"You said something about T'Sar being a religous man," mused Troy, idly studying the pendant. And Sharie, you said T'Sar wrote that the activation phrase was one held 'close to his heart'. What more could be closer to his heart that his god and teachings?"  
  
"T'Sar wrote long poetry about God and the hereafter, " said Phantom easily. He held up his hand, and a computer padd materialized out of thin air. "Here is a copy of his writings, but they are in his tongue. I do not happen to have a translated copy on record, but it may help nonetheless."  
  
DECA's camera was blinking. "I do not recognize the language," she said. "Except the vague dialect. It comes from a sector of space I am not familar with."  
  
"May I see that?" asked Sharie, taking the padd from Phantom. She glanced at it, then started to read a few lines rapidly. "I know this language. When I was small, I had a habit of going through the computer for any language on file to learn--you do not know how helpful that is--and since I do a lot of traveling in parts unknown, I have picked up more languages than I care to count. Indeed, this man was religous."  
  
She pondered this for a moment, then turned to look at her mother. Both women realized they were thinking the same thing. They sort of grinned at each other before Sharie spoke up again.  
  
"If that was the case," she remarked, amused, "Then it is no wonder that those evil could not activate the pendant--they tended to stray from religon." Rapidly, her eyes scanned the poems she held. "A lot of his poems were similar in essence--mostly about S'mara, their word for God. A favorite saying of his was "S'mara Tinivina". Which means, basically, "I place my heart in God's hands." A looser translation, more commonly used, I think, is used along the lines of "God Bless You." I expect you could try those words."  
  
"There is nothing to stop me from trying," sighed Troy, but amusement showed in his blue eyes. "I already have spent a great deal of time rattling off every relative word I could think of. Sorcery is not one of my stronger points."  
  
"I know more than Trey," Sharie answered, bemused. "But I never spent much time studying spells."  
  
Before anybody could say anything more, the padd in Sharie's hands began to glow and quiver with an errie blueish light.  
  
"What is happening?" asked Cassie in astonishment. The glowing pad suddenly brightened to a blinding whiteness for a moment, and when they regained their senses, Sharie saw that the glow had faded somewhat, but stayed.  
  
"What is it?" asked Troy, dazzled, as he looked over her shoulder. Sharie squinted at the padd, then her face took on one of wonder.  
  
"Several lines have been highlighted," she whispered, truly awed. "All of them contain the phrase "S'mara Tinivina." But how..." her voice trailed off, and her purple eyes met Troy's blue ones in astonishment. Both of them were getting inklings of the same thoughts.  
  
Sharie swallowed, struggling to say what was on her mind. "Remember...remember how his death note said his spirit would stay with the pendant until T'Sar decided on an heir...?" she began. She saw comprehension dawn on the visible faces of everyone present, and Phantom straightened.  
  
"No way...." began Ashley. "Surely you are not suggesting that a...*ghost* is trying to communicate with us, are you..."  
  
Sharie nodded. "It is likely that is so." was her awed answer. "If I am right, Troy, T'Sar's spirit is saying he wants you to be the next holder of his powers, and he is doing this by helping you. I can see no other explanation....so try it. Hold the pendant in your hand, concentrate upon it, and say the phrase."  
  
Trey picked up the pendant again, hesistating, but obeying. At first, no words could come out of his mouth, and the pendant seemed to flash impatiently, seeming to say, "do it, already."  
  
His blue eyes closed, and for a timeless moment, he was completely motionless. The words out of his mouth seemed to echo in the halls of eternity as he said calmly, "S'mara Tinivina."  
  
The effect was astounding. The locket glowed, then a beam of white energy bolted from it to a place above their heads. All eyes turned up, to where the beam widened and a series of paragraphs, in a strange language, appeared.  
  
While everyone stood, awestruck at the sight of a language only two present could read, Sharie quietly took a computer padd and typed it all down as fast as she could. Some inner urging was telling her to hurry, hurry, get it down.  
  
"Say the phrase again," she called to Troy. "That might shut it off. I have the inscription copied down."  
  
Troy swallowed, then managed, "S'mara Tinivina." As a result, the glow promptly faded, and the words dissappeared.  
  
TJ, a little bit too stunned to think clearly, managed, "Could anyone read that?"  
  
"I could," volunteered Sharie and Phantom at the same time. Each glanced in the other's direction for a moment, then Sharie spoke up. "I've already gotten it translated," she said, busily putting it down on the pad. "The first part is a note from T'Sar himself. It reads, "If you, my chosen heir, have found this message, then you know I want you to be the next holder of the Nightstriker Warrior powers. The following are clues to the secret location. But beware...news travels fast, those evil will want this power, and may find a way to use it without it destroying them. So be warned, my friend, and it might be wise to not go alone in the search, for obvious reasons. So good luck, farewell, and may the power protect you and enrich your life."  
  
"Even T'Sar understood," Sharie whispered after a moment, her purple eyes matching Troy's thoughtful blue ones. "He is correct, Troy, you should not go at it alone. If you did, and news traveling the way it does, you would be defensless in attack, should somebody else want it for themselves."  
  
Troy had already understood the sense of her implied words, and he was grateful for the company. This quest was one he was not sure he wanted to face alone, at any rate.  
  
****  
  
A few minutes later, Sharie handed out translated copies, on paper, to everyone else present. Now that they had unlocked the basic secret of the pendant, they sincerely hoped that the rest of the instructions would be easy to read and follow, and by now, everyone was itching for the adventure to begin.  
  
A tri-sun world,  
Where the crystal doth rest,  
Within parsecs of home soil,  
Near the cloud of S'mara's crystal breath.  
  
It puzzled everyone to no end, for the stanza seemed to have little sense to it. Sharie looked up from reading it to find everyone else looking at her as if she had all the answers.  
  
"A tri-sun world..." said Jeanette thoughtfully. "That makes sense, and maybe 'within parsecs of home soil'...but S'mara's Crystal Breath?"  
  
Sharie started to follow her mother's thoughts, and because she had a more intimate knowledge of who T'Sar was, and where he was from, she turned to the computer, punching up an image of his home galaxy. Setting up a circular radius of several light-years from his homeworld, she highlighted every three-sun system within it. Five yellow lights began to flash.  
  
"How did you manage to come up with that?" asked Andros in surprise.  
  
"The words, "S'mara's crystal breath," she explained sensibly. She hit a button, making a white cloud appear on the circled area. "S'mara's people called this cloud "S'mara's crystal breath" based upon their religous teachings. Perhaps I can narrow it futher." She examined it thoughtfully, then made two of the blinking lights disappear. "Only three systems border it to any degree."  
  
"Well and good," said Ashley, studying the map. "But can you narrow it further? That system there," she pointed, "Has no planets."  
  
"Good point," remarked Andros, smiling at his girlfriend, then leaned over and kissed her lightly on the cheek. "But the other two systems have several habitable planets capeable of supporting life. It would mean quite a search."  
  
All eyes turned to the next stanza.  
  
The system doth sustain,  
Three life-bearing worlds,  
The crystal is located upon the main,  
Upon the end where S'mara's crystal breath swirls.  
  
This was even worse than the first one. Both systems contained three life- supporting worlds. It seemed like a dead end.  
  
"And now what?" grumped Cassie. "This is leading nowhere."  
  
As if in response to her query, Troy's translated copy began to glow, and the phrase, "On the jagged edge where S'mara's crystal breath swirls," was magically highlighted.  
  
Sharie was looking over his shoulder, trying to understand what T'Sar's spirit was trying to say to them. She glanced at the map at the same time as Phantom, as comprehension dawned on both.  
  
"That's it!" the both said at once, then Sharie stopped and blushed. Quietly, she went over to the computer and pointed out a long, jagged end of the supernova cloud to the other's, like a rip.  
  
"I think this is the system," she said softly. "It holds eleven planets-- four balls of lifeless rock, three life-sustaining planets, and four gas giants. The other line says, "The crystal is located on the main', it must be the biggest life-faring world, the third in the system."  
  
"I believe you are right," said Trey, studying the map thoughtfully. "Let us head there first."  
  
The Megaship was not the only one who intended to leave. Phantom's small ship was docked in their shuttlebay, and the Pyramidas and Sphinx Ultrazord, now fully repaired, were traveling as well, under cloak. In case of enemy attack, they wanted to take no chances. So everyone headed back to their particular zord, and the course was plotted to the planet which could possibly yeild the famous Nightstriker Warrior Powers.  
  
****  
  
Troy had elected to travel with Sharie on board her ship, and she watched him now out of the corner of her eye. He was sitting absently in a chair, studying the pendant that was rapidly altering the course of his life. He was so quiet, and sat still, without moving, for so long, she was starting to get jumpy.  
  
*I always knew he did not really want to be a scientist as much as Trey told me his sister Nikita did....but I did not know he'd get his chance to follow his true dream this easily.....*  
  
"What is on your mind, Troy?" she asked, finally.  
  
He jumped, startled by the sound of her voice, and she knew that he had, rightfully, forgotten she was there, or even where he was exactly.  
  
"I am all right," he said at last, with a faint, thoughtful smile, but his blue eyes were shadowed with turbulent thought. "I was just thinking....how did it come down to this? What force of fate threw this in my path so suddenly and unexpectedly?"  
  
Sharie smiled to herself. So he *had* been thinking it, too.  
  
"I thought that this was something you always wanted," she said, her tone gentle. When someone else was troubled, she was always willing to listen, no matter her own troubles. "Do you think now that this is a bad thing?"  
  
"Oh, no," he answered, surprised. "I think that this is wonderful. I want to tell you something," he admitted sheepishly.  
  
"I always envied Trey, because he had the ability to so easily defeat that which was evil, what I always longed to do. Of course, all Triforians pledge to help others in times of need, but I was downright impatient for my turn, and I never thought I would get a chance to do it the way Trey did. Even the Triforian army was not what I wanted, and it was the next- best thing. I do not desire power or glory, Sharie, that is foolish dreaming. It was the thought that I could help *so much more* if I had the means to do it as Trey did." Troy blushed for a moment.  
  
"But I was never sure how or what to do. The feeling did not abate after you were kidnapped. I saw how Trey blamed himself, how he lost weight and nearly went nuts, because you two were so impossibly close and you were so young, and he missed you so badly. He was certain that his powers were useless, but it was not his fault. I was his best friend and did my best to be there for him, to make him get back up on his feet, even after he recieved the second blow of Jeanette's disappearance. I wanted him to keep doing what he was doing, for he was making a difference. The only bad thing about it was that he took it too much to heart, and threw himself in it too hard."  
  
Troy gave her a wry sort of smile. "Don't worry about that ever happening to me. I am not of the intention of working myself to uselessness if I recieve these powers, but I admit I feel confused by it all. I am now being given the chance to realize my dream, it has been literally dropped into my lap. But...I am also bewildered. I want to help find Zordon, I want to make a difference. And yet, I realize that I am courting Death even looking for these powers, much less accepting them. I feel foolish because of this, even though it is my life's dream. I never expected to feel fear...or uneasiness as well."  
  
He was quiet after he had spilled out his jumbled emotions. He looked at Sharie, waiting to hear what she had to say. She was silent for many minutes before she responded.  
  
"Your fears are not unfounded, Troy. I can understand completely, and so can each and every other person making this journey with you. I felt the same way when I first recieved my powers, knowing that I could not easily control their vast energy sources."  
  
Sharie had to draw in a deep breath before she could say what came out of her mouth next. "Shortly before I was sent away, my mother came to me. She told me to hold out my hand, but did not tell me why. A staff appeared in her hand, and she placed it in mine, saying the necessary words to transfer control of the powers to me. She warned me to say nothing to Trey. I was frightened by the magnitude of the powers now in my hands, and I did not understand why she had done it until I was sent away. Then I understood they were meant for my protection. The knowledge for the powers was *there*, I knew what went where and what did what, but I lacked control because of my youth and inexperience. It took two and a half years before I was able to get enough control of them to feel ready to start helping others."  
  
She smiled at him encouragingly. "You, Troy, won't face that problem, since you are grown. Control of the powers will immediately become second nature to you. You will see."  
  
"Perhaps," Troy allowed. "Maybe it is the magnitude of the whole thing, and the suddenness, that is causing me to feel uneasy. I hope I am prepared to handle it."  
  
"I believe you will," said Sharie gently. "I know you, Troy. You are the type to think before you act, as well as a dedicated person. This is probably what the spirit of T'Sar sees in you, if he wants you to be the next holder of his powers."  
  
There was a flash of gold, and Sharie was a bit startled when her mother appeared out of nowhere.  
  
Jeanette smiled at her daughter's and Troy's twin expressions of surprise. "Sorry to startle you. We are about there, Troy, and I have finished setting up the medical bay on the Megaship, with DECA's and Alpha's help. I hope we will not have need to use it. But I heard through the grapevine that this place is a bad one for evil influence and piracy."  
  
"I hope not," Sharie murmured, straightening. "Let's get back onto the Megaship, we have more to discuss."  
  
****  
  
Before they could go, however, warning lights began to flash on the bridge of her ship, and sirens wailed. Sharie winced, she was going to *disable* those darned things...  
  
"Vessles approaching," announced the computer.  
  
"Identify."  
  
"Specific type of vessles unknown, but weapon systems analysis seems to indicate pirate vessles or warships."  
  
Sharie was instantly alert. "Raise sheilds," she ordered. "Open hailing frequencied, send a standard greeting."  
  
"Message sent. Recieving reply, audio only."  
  
"Well, then? Let's hear it."  
  
The computer calmly played the message.  
  
"Attention Alien vessles," said the voice. "This is a holdup. Drop your sheilds and prepare to be boarded. If you cooperate, your lives will be spared. If not, we will destroy you. You have three minutes to comply. End message."  
  
Sharie bit her lips. "Somehow, I almost expected this. Piracy. You were right, mother, it is common in these parts."  
  
"What will you do?" enquired Troy.  
  
"Computer," stated Sharie. "Weapons analysis: Can the weapons of the fleet match those of the Sphinx Ultrazord, The Astro-Megaship, Phantom's warship, or the Pyramidas?"  
  
"Working." answered the computer. "Results: The weapons of the pirate fleet: inferior to the Sphinx Ultrazord, less inferior to the Pyramidas, just slightly less inferior to the Megaship. Unknown for Phantom's vessel. However, pirate fleet is in enough numbers to present a serious problem to all of the ships."  
  
"Well, what are you going to do?" asked Jeanette impatiently. "We have only two minutes left."  
  
"Try diplomacy, first," was her answer. "I sense that this fleet is only loosely joined, let us hope at least a few ships will listen. The rest...." Sharie shrugged, and did not finish. "Computer, open hailing frequencies."  
  
"Open."  
  
"Attention, pirate fleet," She said calmly. "Before you attack us, for we will not surrender, might I ask what is is you want? If you need something that we can supply, we will do so. You need only ask."  
  
There was a pause, then a buzzing sound that made Jeanette and Troy jump slightly.  
  
"Recieving three seperate replies," stated the computer.  
  
"Open a multi-view link, so I can see them all and they can see each other," said Sharie. Also, get into contact with the other ships, So they can see this also from their viewpoints."  
  
"Acknowledged."  
  
On the screen appeared three people, all distinctly of three different species.  
  
"I am Merdok," said the first, who looked basically human, except for a colorful pattern tattooed onto his forehead. he had long blond hair and icy blue eyes that said he had little compassion. Sharie shuddered inwardly, he reminded her too much of Dark Dresden. "I am the leader of Pirate Team Alpha," he continued in a forceful tone.  
  
"I am Kessa," said the female, who had short black hair, fair skin, and eyes that were completely grey-green, with no hint of pupils. "I am the leader of pirate team Beta."  
  
"I am Jorell," said the third, a man with dark brown curls, and midnight, snappy-black eyes, and hands that had webbing between the fingers, a sure sign that his people had probably evolved in, or near, water. His voice also resembled that of an Aquitian, though not so much. "I am the leader of Pirate Team Gamma."  
  
"As you can see," sneered Merdok. "We are three subunits of a much larger group. Each of us controlls the units of our own species. Now, why do you so foolishly wish to negotiate with us? I would order you destroyed here and now, but you and the other vessels are alien to us, it caught my curiosity. So, what do you have? If you have what we need--we are desperate, as you can see--we may let you live."  
  
"I stock up on things," said Sharie dryly. "I will give what I can of what you need, but I must say I have little in the way of jewels or money. They are not in the commonest use of my people."  
  
"So?" snapped Merdok. "What use of they are to us, either? You cannot eat jewels, or gold. They cannot cover you, or make you warm. Our peoples are poor, we need supplies and fuel. Not jewels. Also, medical supplies are needed. So pay up or ship out."  
  
"Send a list," said Sharie firmly, setting her mouth. "I will see what I can do."  
  
Merdok rolled his eyes but did as she asked.  
  
"Well?" he asked impatiently as Sharie read the list. "Can you do it?"  
  
"I do have many of these things, or I can make them. But it will take a short time."  
  
"We'll see," snapped Merdok again. "If you satisfy us, you may go. If not, say goodnight, Gracie."  
  
Just then, Kessa spoke up. "There is one more thing," she said in a lilting voice so sfot and gentle, it made Sharie wonder how she could possibly be a pirate. "Do you have any of the drug called Felicium? My race has been struck by a disease called the Nassa virus, many of my people are ill, and it is in epedemic porportions. I know of no cure, but felicium lessens the severity."  
  
"The Nassa virus?" echoed Sharie. "Why, the recently did find a cure for it, a drug called Destrin. I will send over enough to cure and innoculate your people."  
  
"Thank you," Said the woman gratefully. "By the way, I never did ask your name."  
  
"My name is Sharie Triesta," she said tonelessly, not caring about her rank. "The man in th Pyramidas is my brother, Trey, lord of Triforia. This is Jeanette, former Lady of Triforia and my mother. Those in the Megaship are the Lightstar Rangers, and this is Troy Tripan, a friend of mine."  
  
"Princess...lord of..." gasped Kessa. "You mean we were about to hijack..."  
  
"Afraid so," mused Sharie, for once glad her rank could come to an advantage. "Give us some time, we will see what we can do."  
  
Merdok did not seem impressed. "You have one hour," he barked. "Then I want to see some results. One hour, hear?"  
  
"Are you insane, Merdok?" gasped Jorell, speaking for the first time. "We cannot kill planetary leaders or power rangers! Not only would their kind come after us, they are not our enemy, and were kind enough to actually *offer* to help!"  
  
"We'll see," snapped Merdok. The three looked ready to argue the point, and Sharie quickly closed the channel so she would not have to listen. She turned around to face her mother's and Troy's astonished looks.  
  
****  
  
"...And this will get rid of them?" asked Andros as they finished overlooking the supplies. "They did threaten us with piracy, you know. How do we know they won't stab us in the back?"  
  
"They do it out of desperation," she answered. "I think they come from races whose cultures were destroyed by one means or another, and this is how they have had to survive. I sense that Kessa and Jorrell are not really bad people, they in fact hate what they are doing. They are only trying to see to the welfare of their species. No, Merdok is probably the only one who could cause too much trouble. If we have any, it will come from him. I doubt the others will try anything, and be satisfied with what they have."  
  
"What about replicating technology, or synthetrons?" asked Ashley pointedly. "The must not have the technology, or they would have no need for doing this. If they had some, they might quit piracy altogether."  
  
Sharie glanced at Trey. The young lord of Triforia spoke up. "We discussed that. I think they have had the technology at some time in the past, but they lost it. Otherwise they would not have what they have now. That is the only reason I agree to it; it is not allowed to interfere so much with the development with another culture."  
  
"Earth has been," pointed out Ashley. "Especially the last few years. Is our planet still not "sheltered?"  
  
Sharie blushed slightly and glanced at her brother. She wisely chose not to answer that question.  
  
****  
  
After all the transfers were complete, Sharie, this time from the Megaship, stood before the images of Kessa, Jorrell, and Merdok. The former two thanked the rangers profusely, and Kessa declared that the epidemic among her people was already getting under control.  
  
Merdok, however, while he grumpily thanked the rangers as well, was oddly silent, a twisted smile on his lips. It was something that Sharie saw behind his icy blue eyes, however, that sent her on silent alert. Mentally, she contacted her brother, telling him her thoughts.  
  
*I agree,* he responded. *This guy might still mean trouble.* Silently, he activated a quiet alert, so their ships, on autopilot, could still prepare for a confrontation. He also mentally alerted Andros, who also agreed.  
  
Meanwhile, Kessa smiled. "Thank you again," she said in her soft voice. "We will never forget your help. Most of the places in this region of space are evil-influenced, and nobody ever offered to help before....maybe now, we can rebuild our societies without shame."  
  
Sharie was not the only one who noticed Merdok rolling his eyes.  
  
"It was nothing," answered Andros diplomatically. "I always try to help when I can, and any one of my friends would do the same. If you need further help someday, simply contact us. We will be happy to help."  
  
Kessa and Jorrell bowed slightly and vanished from the screen, leaving only Merdok. Sensors read their fleets of ships turning around to leave. Merdok's face was turned, obviously watching them from the windows of his bridge, but the grin Sharie had noticed earlier was twisting his lips again, and there was something about his icy blue eyes that made her spine shiver, not to mention feel sick at the same eyes also laced with utter greed. She felt certain she knew what he had in mind, and was prepared for battle if he tried it.  
  
The results were soon forthcoming.  
  
"Well," Merdok sneered as soon as the ships were gone. "That was very generous of you, Sharie dear. You and your friends gave me lots of supplies, all right. Now, suppose you give me the rest?"  
  
"Meaning..." Sharie stalled as she noticed the scanners indicating his fleet was turning and training their weapons on them.  
  
His smile was cold. "Meaning, my dear, that I want everything you've got. Weapons, medical supplies, the whole deal. You and your friends seem to have plenty, as far as I can see."  
  
"You want medical supplies, fine. No weapons. I will not aid your plundering of other people."  
  
"Nor will I," spoke up Andros. "We gave you everything you needed, now leave."  
  
His voice turned catty. "But you all seem to have so much, and so easily too," he said silkily. "Power rangers can get their hands on anything they like. Planetary leaders have a whole planet of riches under their thumbs. Me, I only control this damned fleet. That is not much power. I savor what little I posess, and I want more! If I had enough, I could take control of my whole planet, be it's supreme ruler....oh, my dear princess, it will be glorious! And your friends here will be my key to glory. If you don't, why, I have my whole fleet trained on your few ships, I will order them to fire, and the last thing you will see or feel are the horrors of the vaccuum of space. Now, what will it be? Compliance, or blasted into atoms by my ships? Your choice."  
  
Trey gave a smile that was almost as catty. "Not so fast, Merdok. My sister sensed what you were up to, and we figured you might do something like this. I will warn you right now, it won't work. Our weapons are superior to yours, it would be all to easy to blow you out of the sky quickly."  
  
Merdok's eyes widened and blasted blue thunderbolts. "What do you mean, *sensed*!" he cried, outraged. "You are not from one of those crazy kinds of people who can do weird things with their minds, whatchamacallit-- telepathy, are you?" his blue eyes spit fire at the very thought of telepathic invasion, Sharie noted with some amusement.  
  
"Dammit, girl, stay out of my head. My thoughts belong only to me. It gives me the creeps, laying me all bare like an open book! Damn, can't stand those insane, looney individuals who do that--it is not right, I tell you! Not right!"  
  
Sharie's smile, at his description of her in general, turned just slightly malicious. "I did not enter your mind, Merdok, though I could have easily if I chose to do so. Yes, telepathy is easily within my power, but I do not do it much. Your facial expressions, your eyes, your body language told me your intentions. So I let my friends know about it."  
  
"What, my eyes don't talk, I have never heard 'em. I still say you were snoopin' around in my head, where you shouldn't be. So keep out. Now, fork over what you have, or be destroyed."  
  
"Forget it, Merdok," Andros said coldly.  
  
"That your final answer?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Fine. See you all on the other side, then," he laughed, vanishing from the screen.  
  
Everyone split again to their seperate ships, Phantom sneaking out, under cloak, in his battle cruiser.  
  
Troy, keeping an eye on the situation again from Sharie's Sphinx Ultrazord, warned, "His ships are completing attack formation."  
  
Sharie sighed, "Oh, dear. Sphinx Ultrazord, cloaking sequence four. Lock torpedoes on the nearest three vessles, on non-essential systems." Her eyes raised to meet her mother's concerned ones. "I don't want to destroy them, but hopefully, some damage may change his mind."  
  
Before she could give the order to fire, several fleet ships turned and fired on the Megaship. Sharie saw the ship rock with the impact, and it sprang her into action. Instantly she was at the console, locking the weapons on those ships instead.  
  
"Fire!"  
  
They hit their target dead-on, just short of destroying the enemy, as she had intended them to do. They reeled, spun around, and limped back to regroup as she contacted the rangers.  
  
"Hey, everyone in a single piece over there?" she called.  
  
"We're fine," answered Andros. "We only sustained minimal damage. But let's get this lowlife off our backs so we can complete the mission. We are simply wasting our time."  
  
Sharie agreed fully, but her sirens wailed again. Her brother was being attacked this time, without the proper chance to cloak, and she feared for his safety.  
  
To her horror, she saw that several of the enemy warships were bearing down on him, full throttle. Luckily, as far as she could tell, the Pyramidas had sustained little or no damage from the attack, but the weapons were having the nasty side effect of causing the ship to rock violently with every hit. She sent several phaser blasts, severely damaging several vessles and sending a few into firey balls of brillance as they exploded, their inhaibtants greeting the vaccuum of space with absolutely no enthusiasm whatsoever. Trey, too, pounced upon the vessles and damaged several, destroying two who had tried to damage the pyramidas by setting collison courses.  
  
Soon, the battlefield was an incredible mess as everyone just kept firing like madmen. Sharie had decloaked, participating fully in the frenzy, and holding on tightly as the blasts continued to rock her vessle violently. Still, they caused almost no damage.  
  
One major blow knocked Sharie right off her feet.  
  
"Ahhh!" she cried, startled, as she sailed through the air, the angle of her throw flinging her against the main viewscreen with a sickening thump as Troy was thrown over a control panel, sending him crashing into the wall. Jeanette barely managed to hang onto the railing of the bridge, watching in horror as her daughter and her friend were thrown about like rag dolls.  
  
When the shaking finally ceased, she stumbled over to her daughter as Troy, limping, followed, concern written across his features. "Sharie?" she called gently, brushing her hair out of her face with a gentle motion.  
  
Sharie lay stunned on the floor, her body covered in cuts and appearing bruises, blood already evident on her tunic. Jeanette felt under the girl's thick head of hair, she was not surprised to find a nasty bump under the thick mass of gold curls. The child was going to have one *massive* headache, she was sure.  
  
"Are you all right, Sharie?" asked Troy, worried.  
  
"Yes," she mumbled, her eyes unfocused for a few moments, before becoming at least somewhat clear. With her mother's help, she managed to get to her feet and stumble over to a chair, for it was quite obvious she was still dazed. She throbbed on every inch of her body, feeling pain in places she had forgotten she *had*. Sitting down, she put a hand up to her thumping head, closing her eyes to try and blot out the pain and get ahold of herself.  
  
"All right. this has got to end here and *now*." She meant every word of it, but worry flickered across her features as she attempted to use her telepathy. It caused another bolt of pain to shoot through her head, but it did not stop her from sensing something she did not want to sense. She felt her spine stiffen in fear as the presence of her brother, usually so calm and centered, and even, was faint now, and fading, like a delicate thread about to snap.  
  
"Mother, I think Trey is hurt, even unconscious. I sense...he cannot help me. But I have an idea," she managed, to cover up her own fear. Great, this is just what she needed, what they needed, after all of this...Closing her eyes again, she tried to will away the memories that suddenly threatened to overwhelm her. No, now was not the time to lose control....or let her mother know about her twisted feelings.  
  
She was not unaware of Jeanette's immediate worry about her son, but for the moment, what could she do? There was no way anybody could teleport in this madness.  
  
She got into contact with the Megaship. "How are you holding up over there?" she called as the ship rocked again. She could not stifle her gasp as it sent pain rocketing through her head, her chest, and her foot.  
  
It was Carlos who answered this time, and Sharie was gratified to hear his voice. "Minimal damage, Querida. As for *us*, however, we are being tossed about like toys from the blasts. It is impossible to keep our footing, but no serious injuries. Just some lumps, bumps, cuts, bruises, you get the picture," his tone said he was trying to make light of the situation but not all of him was amused.  
  
"Hang in there, Carlos," she encouraged. "I have an idea. You keep fighting them, to distract them, and I am going to get the Phantom Ranger to help me play a couple of low-life sneaks. I will be phasing in and out continually, so they cannot lock down upon me."  
  
"Okay, but hurry, Querida, before we get seasick from all of this rocking." He joked before cutting the link. Sharie smiled to herself through the pain, before pausing just enough to send the Pyramidas a manual command, a trick Trey had told her of. It made the ship cloak, protecting him until she could get to him. She sincerely hoped he was all right, but she could not even sense him anymore, her pain in her head (not to mention her heart) was too great. She did not dare let her mother know.  
  
With that, she set her plan into action. She began to flit in and out of cloak, sneaking up and pouncing on several pirate ships, and her mother kept her finger on the fire button. The Sphinx Ultrazord was just like a cat, and it got to the point where that, since they had no idea where she was going to appear next, her plan worked, she managed to damage many ships. And at last, she managed to severely damage Merdok's ship as well. She could not find the Phantom Ranger, he had disappeared from her scanners and her head was hurting so badly, she could not think. What little strength she had was focused on defeating Merdok, and with his ship damaged, he was sure to be furious.  
  
Indeed, he contacted her at once, and when the viewscreen lit up, his outraged, disgruntled face amused her, even through her throbbing head and body.  
  
"Miss Triesta, this is an outrage! I order you to stop or I will personally destroy you myself!"  
  
She eyed him cooly. "Give it up, Merdok. You and your fleet, which I see is badly damaged by now, are no match for us. So I advise you to be on your merry way and leave us alone!"  
  
"I will be back!" he shrieked. "You will pay for this! I have friends in high places! I will have my revenge, I don't care who you are!" He mumbled a few more curses in a strange language, but Sharie and Jeanette both turned a bright pink over. She quickly cut the link, glad to see him leave.  
  
Sharie, watching them leave, wondered how it was that so many more ships had been damaged then she had thought. She then remembered the Phantom Ranger, who had been firing entirely under cloak. She wanted to thump herself, her head had been aching so badly she had almost forgotten!  
  
"Well," he chuckled when she contacted him. "That takes care of that. I will be on the Megaship, helping them sort out the mess they are surely in."  
  
After he vanished from the screen, Sharie turned to her mother. "I am going after Trey," she said unnecessarily. "I fear he is hurt," she whispered, limping over to the readings from the Pyramidas, ignoring her aching body as much as possible.  
  
"In your condition?" said Jeanette, eyeing her daughter's appearance. Not only was she covered in cuts and bruises, she was also painfully rubbing an ankle, accounting for her limp. "Perhaps I should go with you."  
  
"No, you are needed on the Megaship, and everything is ready over there, like you did for it. I will be back soon, do not worry. As soon as I find Trey, I will teleport to the medical bay over there."  
  
*Too stubborn, just like her father,* Jeanette mused sadly, watching her youngest child reach for her teleportation button. *One day, that stubbornness could get you killed, little one. Be careful.*  
  
****  
  
Sharie materialized in the cockpit of the Pyramidas, medkit in hand. She felt her heart clench painfully as she saw her brother crumple on the floor, out cold. She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to blot out the memories. *No, not now, that was another time, another place...*  
  
Shuddering, she managed to limp to his side, kneeling down beside him and turning him over. He moaned slightly, but did not awaken. His face was a dreadfully pallid color, his long dark lashes looking startlingly white against the whiteness of his normally bronze face. A cut on one side of his forehead was slowly oozing blood. Sharie gently touched the rest of his head, finally finding a nasty lump, not unlike her own, under his thick, short dark locks. He also had other bruises and cuts on his body, indicating he had been thrown violently more than once.  
  
Sharie quickly pulled some gauze from her medkit and pressed it gently against the bleeding laceration on his head to absorb the flow of blood. It turned dark red even as she bound it to his head with more strips of gauze, to hold it in place. Quickly, she scanned him for other not-so- obvious injuries.  
  
She felt her insides shrink and go icy. He had a severe concussion--if he had been awake, he would have been in agony, she was sure--two broken ribs, and a busted wrist. An ankle had been severely turned as well.  
  
*Ouch* she thought, as she stabalized him for teleportation. After binding his ribs and splinting his wrist, she straightened his body out so they could teleport. Before they were to transport, she paused, looking at him with an incredible ache in her heart, gently reaching out to touch his face. It was much too warm, despite his pallid color.  
  
"Trey..." she murmured, trying to hide her distress. She could not let her mother know how much they often still suffered from the ghosts of the past. They had still kept the events from Dark Dresden as shadowy as possible from her, and other signals of their pain.  
  
Sharie sighed, knowing she had to get him to safety. She gently brushed his hair out of his face before reaching for her communicator. After signaling their mother, they vanished in a golden flash.  
  
They materialized in the medical bay. Sharie saw her mother go as sheet- white as Trey was upon seeing her son in this condition. Quickly, she helped her daughter lift him onto the empty biobed. As she prepared another regenerator to treat his injuries, Sharie quickly told her of his condition.  
  
While they worked, Jeanette cast a sidelong glance at her daughter, then nearly stopped herself. She noticed Sharie was still painfully rubbing her slim ankle again. Her hair, which had come loose, tumbled about her shoulders, down her back, and into her violet-purple eyes, which were in turn shadowed with...something. She was also unconsciously rubbing her head and her side.  
  
Quietly, so she would not notice, Jeanette turned the scanner on her own daughter. She tried to suppress a groan as she read not only a cracked ankle, but a broken rib, another cracked one, and a moderate concussion as well. How Sharie was even able to *see*, much less *walk,* was beyond her. So was the fact that her daughter had said not one word about her nasty injuries.  
  
Her concern was replaced by mild irritation, and she felt her parental duties taking hold as she gently but firmly removed the scanner from her daughter's hand, flatly ordering her to attend to herself. "I can take over here, thank you. You need to tend to your own injuries, my girl. I had no idea you were in that bad a shape."  
  
She actually looked mildly surprised. "But--"  
  
"No buts please, my girl. You are on the verge of collapse, yourself. I am still your mother and you are still a juvenile, I should have a certain say-so in situations like this. And I know I am right when I say you do need tending. Now, march--er, limp, and get off that foot, please. One day, your impulsivenenss and stubborness will get you killed."  
  
The mild flash of irritation Sharie had felt when her mother first started to lecture her was quickly replaced by a flash of amusement.  
  
"How often have I heard that?" she muttered with a faint smile as she started to heed her mother's words. 'Sharie, you're too stubborn. Sharie, quit jumping at every little mission you see, you will get yourself killed.'" she mimicked. "But I like helping others, and besides, I am a power ranger, it is my job. And now, *Mom*, as for ordering me about--"  
  
Jeanette was already opening her mouth to argue the point, when she was surprised into closing it again when Sharie started to giggle, wincing as more pain shot through her head. It did not take the amused smile from her face.  
  
"--as for ordering me about," she continued, her eyes now twinkling merrily, "Mother, you have not done that to me since I was three and you had to flatly order me away from the books and computer I was glued at, to get me outside and do something else," she giggled. "You made Trey get me interested in Triforian martial arts, and dancing." She sobered somewhat. "But Mom, now I am pretty much grown up, and I have been making my own decisions for years now, especially in situations like this."  
  
Jeanette sighed. She knew that this was all true, but it was something her daughter should not even be facing for several more years yet....her childhood had been stolen from her at an incredibly young age, and she doubted that, just because they were together again, she could ever get it back.  
  
"I know...." she murmured, reaching out and touching Sharie's hair. "But sometimes, it is just so hard....I do get worried, who would not, in our situation? Not everyone I know has a seventeen-year-old daughter costantly risking her life to help others, and I have had to worry enough about Trey as it is. All right dear, I expect I overstepped it a bit, but please remember, I cannot stop worrying. I missed so much of your life."  
  
The comment stopped Sharie in her tracks. Pain flashed again behind her eyes, though she tried to hide this as she dropped the regenerator on the bed and limped painfully over to her mother's welcoming arms. She hid her wince of pain in her sore ribs as she hugged her mother tightly.  
  
"I know, mother," she quivered slightly. "But now we have a very long time to catch up on what we have missed out upon. For that, I am thankful."  
  
"Me, too." Jeanette brushed a few strands of curls out of Sharie's face, identically-colored purple eyes meeting. "I have really cherished the past days we have had together. I expect, however, that you will be planning to return to Earth, soon. I know you have a seperate life there, and I cannot stop you from living it." She held her daughter gently, mindful of her injuries.  
  
Sharie nodded. "I will need to, soon," she admitted. "There are other missions I will have to go on, should they come up, and Angel Grove is often under constant fire from Astronema. However," she brightened, "there is no reason you could not come and visit me on Earth."  
  
Her mother blanched. "Me--go to Earth? I am not sure I would fit in."  
  
Sharie just smiled as she hopped on one foot back to the biobed, strapping a specially-shaped regenerator to her foot. She picked up another and limped over to a partition to strap it to her ribs under her shirt, while Jeanette looked amused. Her head throbbed as she hopped back on one foot, the pain did not ease when she held another to her head to take care of her concussion. Her head felt like it was split from one end to another, and at first, the only improvement she noticed was that the fuzziness around the edge of her vision cleared. But gradually, the pain lessened. It helped, greatly, when Carlos, sensing the conversation was over, came over to sit beside her on the biobed, smiling inadvertently when Jeanette smiled at them approvingly. Somehow, it felt pretty good when your girlfriend's mother approved of you.  
  
****  
  
A few minutes later, Sharie heard a faint moan escape Trey's lips as he stirred slightly, putting a hand to his throbbing head. His dark eyes opened and he blinked, completely dazed and in pain, his vision not terribly clear.  
  
Jeanette was by his bedside at once.  
  
"How are you feeling?" she whispered, somehow aware that every sound he heard was causing terrible pain.  
  
"Oh....like someone rolled over my body with the pyramidas," he mumbled. "I hate to admit it, but I ache all over."  
  
"I should say so," she remarked. "When Sharie found you, you were out cold, and you have several injuries. Do you remember anything?"  
  
He closed his eyes against the assaulting light, it was just to painful. "Lots of shaking," he whispered, suddenly remembering. "Being thrown a couple of times...you get the idea."  
  
By then, Sharie had put down her regenerator and had hobbled to his bedside.  
  
"You do look better," she remarked, hugging him gently, mindful of his injuries. For some reason he himself could not explain, only knowing he had to, he hugged her back, only pausing when she winced. "When I found you, you were a mess."  
  
"Thanks a lot, Lalinka," he painfully chuckled, feeling her wince again. His brow furrowed as he felt the outlines of the regenerator under her shirt.  
  
He let go immediately, pulling her back. His vision was clear enough to take in her still cut-and-bruised appearance, her hair tumbling down, and to his shock, he took in the haunting pain he had come to recognize in her gaze. Good grief, how bad *had* it all been? "What happened to you, Lalinka? Don't tell me you went to find me while you were also injured."  
  
"Well..." she began hesistantly. "I did not exactly say anything about how I was at first, but...I guess I simply did not pay attention. I sensed you were hurt, and I had to find you."  
  
"Yes, and it was more like it took control of every other thought she might have had," said Jeanette, a bit dourly. "I could not stop her, I doubt if I could even if I had known how badly hurt she was. She would not let me come."  
  
Trey blinked, and looked into his sister's eyes, suddenly understanding the haunted look. He understood it all too well, and why she felt like she had to hide it from their mother...for he felt the same way. The less Jeanette knew of the agonies they had suffered, the better. No, they could not burden her with that.  
  
*Oh, Lalinka,* he sent to her, his hand finding hers and squeezing it hard. They might try to hide things from their mother, but he doubted it was not worth the price of Sharie's own mental anguish. He only too clearly remembered the long chain of events it had taken to get her to let go of *any* of it, even when Dark Dresden attacked again. He would never, ever forgive himself for the bruises he had unintentionally inflicted on her, even though it had caused the sudden surge of rage that had broken through to her, even if it had been only a short time. *I am stone* she had said, and it certainly seemed like she had stone walls of self-protection. He had no idea how much like her he was.  
  
Jeanette did not miss the unspoken communication that was passing between them, but she could not pry, though she did not wonder if it would be necessary. She knew next to nothing, still, for they told her so little. She had the sense that it was a combination of the fact that they were trying to spare her, and their own inherent stubborness, that kept them from ever showing their innermost feelings to her. Like they often did with each other, it made her frustrated at times, trying to reach them the way she would like. She knew they were hurt, and were trying to hide it for her sake, but they never even cried. They were too clamped, and it frustrated her. The rage, the pain, and the burial of emotions had fallen into place years ago, and it remained unresolved to this day. She hoped so it would change on day. She really disliked the idea that her children carried so much mental anguish in their hearts. They certainly did not deserve it.  
  
****  
  
A short while later, everyone was nearly normal once again. What little damage had been done had been repaired, most of the injuries treated. Sharie and Trey would both have to wear dermal regenerators on their ribs for a short time longer, but other than that, they were fully healed.  
  
As they entered the bridge, they both could not quite hide the squriming they were both doing. The darned things, while they were healing them quickly, itched like crazy! What was worse, they had to bear it without scratching, for doing so would only aggrivate their damaged ribs and cause more pain, which they still felt. So they only sat, and sqirmed uncomfortably, trying to ingnore their crawling skin, or the fact that many other places in their bodies still ached like crazy.  
  
"Let's get on with this," Muttered Sharie, squirming awkwardly in her chair and trying not to let her discomfort show on her face. "Remember T'Sar's line--The crystal is located on the main--meaning the largest life- sustaining planet in this system. It is a double-planet system, like the Earth-moon duo. The smaller world is completely airless, with no life. The larger planet is about Earth's size, about 75% water, and several continents. There is a stone-age culture here, but they only live in the southwestern continent." She sighed. "The problem with this information is that it is over tewnty thousand years old. They could have spread worldwide by now. The thing is, few ever come out here, and that is why the information is so old. The natives of this planet, called Indri III, could very well be advanced by now." Her brow furrowed. "Or perhaps not. At the time...indications were showing that perhaps their culture was taking an evil turn." Catching the looks on the other's faces, she added, "Not that it would. Our older books on Triforia, about Earth, thought much the same thing. They predicted that Earth's culture would be perpetually evil, or destroy themselves through warfare. That did not happen."  
  
She wondered whether she should tell them that on a few other planets, there was even talk about Earth on other planets, who discussed the possibility that they had to eradicate the Earth's inhabitants once and for all, before they reached spaceflight and grew too dangerous, because of the extreme rate 'that evil race' was adancing, with deadly weapons technology. They had predicted that if humankind ever got out into space, they would be hell-bent conquerers.  
  
Although no one now thought that, thanks especially due to Zordon, Sharie though better of telling them this. She could not risk insulting them, and it might even make them paranoid.  
  
"Okay," said Andros, bringing her back to the present. He held up his copy of the translated stanzas and read the next one.  
  
The crystal doth hide,  
In a place filled with cliffs,  
Caves, the briney blue sea,  
Where the ocean ends, the water, the mists.  
  
Andros thoughtfully dragged up an old map DECA had on file of the planet in question. It rather shocked the Earth Rangers to see how much it resembled Earth.  
  
"That description is pretty loose," Troy observed. "There are many poaces along that shores that fit what the stanza indicates." Several places on the map lit up, as if to prove his point.  
  
Trey, desperate to find some distraction from that damned itch, read aloud the next passage.  
  
The place in question is up north,  
And to the East, with the rising sun,  
At dawn the cliffs glow the color of gold,  
Except Sustani's peak, which looks shriveled and old.  
  
It made no sense to Trey whatsoever. "Sustani's peak?" he asked aloud.  
  
Phantom placed his chin in his hand, and Sharie drummed her fingertips on the table. She glanced at him he at her, and a silent communication quickly passed, for he nodded in agreement.  
  
He straightened. "Sustani's peak....Sustani was, I belive, A reference by T'Sar's people for their devil. So in Standard, it would translate as Devil's peak. I doubt the natives would call it that, though, they probably have their own name for it, if they have migrated that far. Maybe T'Sar got the idea if he had seen the peak himself, so he used it here. But the rest of the description may narrow your search."  
  
Andros tapped at the computer thoughtfully, then, to their relief, most of the lights vanished. On the north and east, along the Eastern shore, one pale blue light was still glowing.  
  
"That is where it must be located, then," said Andros, feeling a sense of relief. "The maps indicated that it was the only peak that is never lit up by the Eastern sky in the morning. Not until noon does it get any light. And my sensors indicate that the place is full of caves."  
  
Troy wondered why everyone still acted surprised when a brilliant blue glow filled the room, and a small blue light formed, moving to settle over the spot indicated on the map, and pulsed a steady beat.  
  
T'Sar.  
  
Troy found his tongue first. "Well, I guess that confirms it," he managed. "I suppose now we should go look ourselves, and find the powers. The sooner we handle this, and the sooner it gets over with, the better I wil feel."  
  
Sharie suddenly remembered something. "If we go down, we will need oxygen masks," she advised solemnly. "The air is breathable, but too thin for us. It would only take a minute or two to black out, and slowly suffocate otherwise."  
  
"Meaning that, if we go down, we have to haul huge oxygen tanks on our backs?" asked Carlos incredulously.  
  
She smiled at him. "No. Not like you are used to, anyway. The devices I speak of foot over the mouth and nose, with a band that holds it in place on your head, and a very thin tube that leads to a small buckle-sized device that clips around the waist. The tube goes under the clothing as to not be a hinderance, and it is non-irritant, so you should not notice it."  
  
She and Trey squirmed again, noth desperately trying to ignore the persistent itch. She reflexively drew a deep breath, realizing that now it barely hurt to do so. Soon, she would be able to take off that damned regenerator. Repressing the feeling as best as she could, she tapped her chin thoughtfully.  
  
"However, at least one of us, perhaps more, should stay behind to keep an eye on things up here. Somebody should be on call in case Merdok shows up again or something else goes wrong."  
  
"I will, for one," volunteered Jeanette. "Someone with halfway-decent mecial knowledge should be on standby, in case...and I have, over the past couple of days, gotten the hang of how things work on these ships."  
  
"I will, too," said TJ after a moment's silence. "With this situation, Alpha will more than just have his hands full. I will be on standby, however, if you need help."  
  
Phantom had withdrawn from the conversation lately, and had been silently tapping at a computer pad. "I should stay behind, also," he said thoughtfully. "It will be easy for me to patrol this sector, and maybe I could get you an early warning if something goes wrong. Plus, I have other things that need handling." Typical of him, he did not elaborate. Cassie gave him a smile of understanding before turning to listen to Sharie's next words.  
  
"And Troy, keep your teleporter handy," she was advising him. "At the first sign of trouble, it would be better if you teleported, for you are not protected by power like the rest of us are."  
  
"I doubt it," was his dry answer. "I would not just abandon you guys in the middle of an attack. That would be cowardly, not to mention unethical."  
  
"Maybe," she countered. "But the Nightstriker Warrior powers would be of little use to you if you were dead. Just watch your back, okay? Now, if we all are in agreement with this, then what say we teleport down to these coordinants in about an hour? That will give Trey and I time to finish healing and also get the necessary equiptment together."  
  
So it was agreed, then they scattered, preparing for their journey.  
  
****  
  
About an hour later, everything was almost ready. Everyone was gathered back onto the Megaship, re-checking their supplies before leaving. Besides the oxygen equiptment, everyone was equipped with a special survival kit, also strapped to their waists, fanny-pack style. Each contained a tiny replicator that only replicated water, a tiny cup attached to it, a small hypospray and an emergency supply of Tri-ox boosters--about a three-hour supply--A small tool with various devices, a tiny flashlight, a poison indicator to test for foods safe to eat, poison deadener, and seven tiny packets of rations, enough to last for a week.  
  
"And how are we supposed to eat them?" queried Ashley. "These masks cover our mouths and noses, and if we remove them..."  
  
"I doubt you would suffer much to quickly pull it away from your mouth enough to pop that bite-sized morsel into your mouth," was Sharie's bemused answer. "As for the water...one sip at a time, please."  
  
All in all, everything in the kit was very tiny, but the uses of each went a long way. And Sharie and Trey would have their Zeo Medkits on call, just in case, also. They were set.  
  
Sharie slipped the mask on her head, adjusting the bands so it fit comfortably. She had already threaded the slender tube down her Triforian- style tunic, and she now attached it to the small device clipped to her waist. She felt cool air rush up the tube to her face covering. She breathed deeply, then thought of something.  
  
"Here," she said suddenly, handing everyone a small white box no larger than the oxygen devices. "These contain a special kind of rope, and clips. You can also attach it to your belts. Wht the kind of terrain we will be covering, we will probably need it to do cliff-climbing--or repelling."  
  
Wordlessly, they took the little boxes and clipped them to their belts. Since all fo them, as part of their Ranger training or warrior training, had been taught this kind of thing, none of them were unprepared.  
  
"All right, let's go," she said. She nodded to TJ, who hit the button to teleport them all. The world around her vanished in a flash of violet- purple light.  
  
****  
  
To Troy, the world came back into focus, but looking vastly different than anything else he had ever before seen. The sky was blue and the sun yellow, of course, like Triforia and many other planets he had been to, but it is not every day you find yourself in a place where the dry terrain could show your relfection to a degree, or the few plants have yellow bark and purple leaves. They were standing at the base of several cliffs, some steep, some gradual.  
  
Behind him the blue ocean crashed into rocks at the end of a medium-sized strip of beach. Except for the weird-looking plants, he saw no inidcation of life. He looked around, ready to explore, but then realized he did not know in the least where to begin.  
  
"What do we do know?" he queried sheepishly.  
  
Sharie glanced at him pityingly, then held up the computer pad she had not forgotten. "Maybe T'Sar's next passage will set us off in the right direction." She said, her voice not muffled in the slightest by the oxygen mask. "Here goes--"  
  
The beach to your left,  
The cliffs to your right,  
Then finding the crystal,  
Should not be a hindsight.  
  
She looked thoughtful, biting her full lip. "I think this means we should head south, " she said soberly.  
  
Grudgingly, the group began to walk in that direction, desperately trying not to twist an ankle or break a leg on the rough terrain. It was definetly hard not to.  
  
"Where do we go now?" grumbled Cassie. "We cannot travel in this direction forever."  
  
"I know," sighed Sharie, glancing at the next stanza.  
  
You are closer to finding the crystal,  
S'mara be blessed,  
In the middle, a mountain of white,  
Holds the long-awaited crystal's nest.  
  
"I thinke we have our answer," remarked Trey, nodding his head in the direction of some nearby mountains to the south. There were three main peaks, two brown and bare, but the middle was a brilliant white, and not with snow. They were about to head in that direction when Sharie suddenly stiffened.  
  
"What is it?" said Trey, instantly on alert.  
  
"We are being watched," she whispered.  
  
"Natives?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Can you tell if they are evil or good?" he whispered.  
  
Sharie hesistated, not really wanting to pry. "Both, I believe. It is pretty balanced. I don't think they would be inentionally cruel, unless the situation dictates it. They are sentient, and undecided about us."  
  
"Could they be considering attacking us?" asked Trey.  
  
Her brow furrowed. "If we appear too dangerous, perhaps. But somehow....I get the distinct impression that they have long been aware of off- worlders."  
  
"Would they be willing to talk, that is, if we could get through the language barrier?"  
  
She shrugged. "As long as we make it clear we pose no threat. I believe they may be willing. We will have to see. As for the language...there was an old file on their language, DECA had it, it was about five thousand years old. I memorized it...hopefully, enough of it survived the eons to communicate. Also, if they are aware of aliens, then some of them may speak Standard."  
  
Suddenly, from out of nowhere, a woman stepped out, dressed in robes despite the heat. She held up a hand for them to halt, and they did so, as she carefully surveyed the group. A group of men and women, all looking stern, joined her. She lowered her hand and spoke in a very cold voice, in the ancient tongue only Sharie knew.  
  
"Who are you, strangers, and why do you come to our world? Be warned, for we do not tolerate invaders or those with dishonorable intents."  
  
Sharie, being the only one who understood them, translated this to the rest of them before carefully stepping forward. She spoke carefully, because of it's difficult articulation, and she did not want to unintentionally speak the wrong word.  
  
"Greetings, I am Sharie Triesta, and I speak your language, though I am the only one of this group to do so. I assure you we mean no harm. We came here on a special mission for a certain object that, according to records we have found, is on this planet and somewhere in this area."  
  
Stone-cold sapphire eyes stared unrelentingly into her purple ones. "Before, and if, we let you go further, we need more specifics. We do not allow harmful plundering of our world. We want the truth. And also the purpose of your masks--is our air too impure for you? Be warned, we will know if you lie. Others have come and tried the same thing, but we always know."  
  
Sharie readily translated this to her friends. Their eyes met in mutual consent to tell the truth, for none of them could see anything to lose.  
  
Sharie turned back to the leader. She had the odd feeling that this woman had understood them, but was giving no indication that she knew. A test, Sharie thought. Still, to show respect, she plunged ahead in their tongue.  
  
"We will tell you, since we have nothing to lose. We are in search of a crystal, a special crystal. It contains a certain kind of power, that we are in need of. A friend of ours, named Zordon, is missing, and teh power could help us find him." She was surprised that at the mention of Zordon, the woman's blue eyes softened at once.  
  
"Zordon? You know Zordon? Of Eltare?"  
  
"Yes, we know of him, and most of us knew him personally as their mentor. But now, he is missing."  
  
She eyed them critically. "I wish to know more, and the purpose of your masks."  
  
"The atmosphere of your world, for us, is beathable, but contains too little oxygen for us to use. So we need the air from these respirators." She quickly went on to explain, briefly, what had happened to Zordon, all of which she knew only second-hand herself.  
  
"...and that is why we are here. Now, will you permit us to continue?"  
  
The woman locked her blue eyes to Sharie's purple ones again. All of a sudden, Sharie sensed a delicate brush of another mind aginst her own. She started at first, unused to such an invasion without her permission, but then let the woman know that what she was saying was the truth. It was worth it, she reflected, for at last the woman's icy blue eyes turned warm, her voice softened, and she smiled, all her former sternness melting away.  
  
"Please, forgive my earlier rudeness and the mind invasion, but it was necessary. I know now you are telling the truth. I am called Janna, pricenss of the Mespa region of this world. My father is Lord Dartanyon, ruler of this world."  
  
Sharie smiled forgiveness. "What you did is understandable. As I said before, my name is Sharie Triesta. I did not mention that I am princess of Triforia, this is my brother, Trey, Lord of Triforia, this is Troy, a friend of ours, and these are the Lightstar Rangers of Earth, Carlos, Andros, Cassie, and Ashley."  
  
Janna turned pale. "You are royalty!" she gasped. "Why are you out here, then? You should be properly greeted by my father, at the High Palace! Unless your customs dictate it otherwise, it is only proper!"  
  
Sharie translated all of this to the others, but felt a blush heating her cheeks, Trey likewise. It embarassed them when others made a big deal of their 'rank'. It was nothing unusual, they were really no more important than the average Triforian. She decided to change the subject, once again getting the distinct feeling that the woman could understand them.  
  
"Janna, if your people are aware of offworlders, then does anybody on your world, or you, speak the language called Standard? The rest of us here speak such."  
  
Her eyes were now dancing with suppressed humor. "Yes, I speak standard," she said in perfect English. "I did not say anything before because it is an advantage to offworld enemies, to let them think we are still primitive savages! Not all of us do, but the royal family must learn."  
  
Sharie sensed her friends relax as the woman spoke words they understood.  
  
She shrugged. "I knew you understood what I translated to my friends here. I sensed it from my own mind."  
  
Janna's eyes widened. "You are telepathic? How? I did not sense that from your mind when I brushed it."  
  
"I have excessive abilities, and skills in it's use as well," Sharie answered with a smile. "It is sometimes easy to fool a mindprobe."  
  
Janna made a slight bow. "Well, if you do not want to come to my father's palace to be properly honored, considering your ranks, then at least come to the communal Dining Hall. It is the only structure for miles around, since we are on frontier soil. I was there when I was alerted to strangers in the area." She shook her head. "I do not understand why you do not request the proper greetings due you. You, Lord Trey and Princess Sharie, are planetary leaders, and the rest of you are interglalactic heroes.  
  
"We do not expect that kind of treatment," explained Trey gently. "On our world, being of the Royal Family is hardly any distinction. There is no throne room, crown of jewels, and such. And we are treated no differently than ordinary citizens. And my title of Lord of Triforia is just short of being ceremonial. Basically, my people do as they wish."  
  
"Ah, I understand," mused Janna. "Different, but plausible. Now, will you all come to the Dining Hall? It is nearby and you may rest there before continuing your quest."  
  
"So you will allow us to proceed?" quipped Troy.  
  
"Yes, for I have decided that you are trustworthy, asn we have no need of the powers you describe. And if the spirit of the predecessor that held the powers dictates that they be given to Troy, we dare not interfere. Our only restriction is that you disturb the land as little as possible. The white mountain is sacred and largely unexplored. But because you are offworlders with a spirit dictating your way, you may go. Just show a little respect, if you please. Now, will you join us?"  
  
Sharie's eyes wandered to the sky. It was getting dark, and it had been a long day. They were all tired from the last several days, she sensed, having faced battles, injuries, damage, repairs, and ghosts. Especially today. Exhausted, all of them came to a quick agreement.  
  
"With your permission, we will join you," she said, smiling. Janna smiled back and waved her hand in the direction that they would be traveling in, then led the way deeper into the rocky cliffs and canyons, along a narrow, barely-discernable trail.  
  
After about a quarter of a mile, they came upon a large structure, carved right into the side of a cliff. Cryptic designs decorated the cliff face, and it had been smoothly polished so the relfective surface was even more brilliant and clear. Above an arching doorway, also of stone, were unreadable letters, to all but Sharie. Absently, she told them it said, "Welcome to the Communal Dining Hall, center for the hungry and weary."  
  
It was cool inside, but lit up surprisingly for a place carved right into a rockface. The colors were soft, welcoming, and it was a relief to the weary rangers after the blazing sun.  
  
The establishment was not very busy, the few other natives within sight merely turning and eyeing them with frank curiosity and reservation. But with a sharp gesture, almost a command, from Princess Janna, they quickly became friendly, smiling people. Obviously, she had let them know that these were people to be treated with respect. Her followers quickly disappeared to another section of the building.  
  
Janna led the weary group to a nearby table that could seat them all, and on comfortable, plush chairs. A young man from behind a counter came over at another sharp gesture from the woman. He knelt on one knee before the princess, hands crossed over his chest, and his head bowed.  
  
"My lady," he murmured in their ancient tongue.  
  
"You may rise," she bade him, and at his submissive gesture, Sharie turned red, scarcely bringing herself to translate to her friends. Never, ever would she force her people to do such an embarassing display of submission.  
  
The young man, named Tamio, cast a quick glance at the strangers.  
  
"What does my lady wish?" he asked of Janna.  
  
"You will brush up on your skills at speaking Standard, Tamio," she intoned. "These strangers are not of our world, and their main language is such. Only this one--" she gestured at Sharie, "speaks our tongue. And you will treat them with the utmost respect. They are Power Rangers, and these two are royalty themselves. This is Trey, Lord of Triforia, and Sharie, princess of Triforia. They are the leaders of their world." Tamio's eyes went wide.  
  
"Heed their wishes, but expect to be treated as their equal. The are used to equal behiavor from all on their world. If they wish it, do not bow every time you approach them, for I can see it makes them uncomfortable. And if they wish to talk, you need not heed their words."  
  
*Totalitarian culture?* Sharie wondered to herself. At least the seedings of it. Some things seemed suppressed.  
  
The young man nodded, much astonished. Janna quickly introduced the others to him as Sharie quickly translated. Then Janna turned to them.  
  
"I must retire to my rooms for a short while. If you wish, Tamio will assign you rooms to sleep in for tonight, and get you anything you wish.'  
  
Not wanting to insult, but knowing she must say this, Sharie spoke up. "Janna, would it be taken as an insult if we were to refuse most kinds of food? I hae done tests on your vegetation, and much of it we will be unable to tolerate."  
  
Janna looked surprised, then smiled an understanding. "No, it would not be under these circumstances. Otherwise, yes. But in this case, no. I do, however, hope that you have other means of sustenance with you." She looked doubtfully at the small packs everyone was wearing around their waists.  
  
"We do, in the form of ration packets. Also, we need to contact, using your communications, the ships we have in orbit around this planet. Our communicators cannot get through the interference, but we need to tell them we will be staying down here tonight."  
  
Janna readily agreed to this before making a slight bow and leaving without saying farewell. Sharie sensed that it was not the custom here for that unless the parting companies were to not see each other again for a time.  
  
After she was gone, Tamio turned to them and spoke, in broken, stumbling Standard.  
  
"W-welcome. I am called Tamio. You ask--I bring. Sleep rooms--this way. Or food, drink--" he gestured toward the counter. "I get for you."  
  
"Could you show us to our rooms, Tamio?" Sharie asked politely, feeling sorry for him. He was trying, almost too much, to please them in ways that were not necessary.  
  
He flashed her a grateful smile. "Yes--follow me." He bowed again, to her discomfort, and led them off to the side, through several doors, coming to a long hall with various doors. Though carved in stone, it was a beautiful sight, for the stone glowed colors that seemed vibrant and alive--from beige, reds, off-whites, greens, browns, oranges, even purple and pure white.  
  
Tamio bowed again. "Forgive--space a problem. Avalible rooms--share, hope is understood."  
  
"Of course we understand," said Cassie slowly, so her words could be understood.  
  
"That is good." He opened a door. "For females in yellow, pink." He said to Cassie and Ashley. He led them inside a splendid room for two. Wonderful, colorful furniture lined the walls, and the canopied beds were vivid hues, one yellow and one pink. The girls gaped at the splendor.  
  
"I will leave, how do you say--'let you get comfy'. Will be back soon."  
  
Leaving the girls staring open-mouthed at the sheer luxury of the room that had been assigned to them, the others followed Tamio out the door and down the hall to another room.  
  
"For men," he said to Troy, Andros, and Carlos, ushering them inside. The room was as splendid as the girls' room, but with more masculine tones of red, black, white and brown. There were three beds, again with canopies, but with a more masculine touch. One was black, one was red, and the third was a somewhat dusky, silverish color.  
  
"Will be back shortly," said Tamio to the gaping boys. He led Sharie and Trey back out the door and down the hall.  
  
Brother and sister exchanged glances. Why were they being singled out to occupy yet more rooms? The others were plenty big enough...  
  
He led them to yet another door, the one at the end of the hall. Tamio stepped forward and opened it. "Your room."  
  
Sharie felt her heart flop to her toes. Brilliant hues of purple and gold gleamed, almost bliningly, in every angle and direction. The room had both masculine and femenine touches. The splendid canopy beds were both blackish, one with gold trimming and one with purple.  
  
"Tamio--" Sharie began, not wanting to offend, but her face was bright red. "This--is too much. We could have shared rooms with the rest. There is no need for a seperate room--"  
  
"You are...brother, sister, no?" he said, furrowing his brows. Trey nodded.  
  
"Our custom....related guests, families....share quarters." He shrugged. "Room to left--for re-cre-ation." he stumbled over the word. Silver buttons on wall--calls me. Princess Janna may come later. What you want...I bring. Goodnight." With one last bow, he left the room.  
  
One he was gone, Sharie snorted. "Simply because we are brother and sister? Hogwash." Trey raised an eyebrow at her, but he thought he knew what was crossing her mind. Tamio had taken what Janna had told him quite literally, and tried to disguise the fact that he had stuck them in a royal suite, without trying to offend their sesibilities. Sharie was the type perfectly happy in a pair of ragged jean shorts and a t-shirt, and he himself preferred casual wear and hanging with his friends at times, not sipping tea and be waited on hand and foot. This room was much too grand for their tastes. Triforians were not vain like this.  
  
They left the room, everyone meeting in the "recreation" room, which was filled with all sorts of strange devices nobody knew the use of. As they sat down, Sharie rubbed her fingers on the bridge of her nose, just above where the clear plastic fitted over her face. She was getting really tired of the mask, but, even though there was more oxygen in here than outdoors, it was still not enough.  
  
Everyone simply stared at each other for a moment, then, to break the silence, Cassie managed, "Well, uh, *that* was interesting. First she is so *cold* to us, and then she brings us here...and still acts like royalty on Earth."  
  
"Almost." Put in Ashley. "At least she did not make us bow to us like Tamio had to do. Mom would flip if she knew of this. And Grandma....she might try and marry me off to one of the royals."  
  
Everyone laughed at this, save Troy, who only looked puzzled. Ashley caught his eye and grinned. "My grandmother is very sweet and all of that, Troy," she explained. "But she is very...overbearing. Even Sharie and Trey have met her. She has a hobby of matchmaking, and she took one look at those two and immediately tried to match them with several people wanting to marry. They had a hard time convincing her that they were already involved."  
  
"Hey," said Andros, who had left the group and had crossed the room. "I found their communications systems over here." He toyed with it, then called Sharie. "Okay, genius. You can read this stuff, so help me here."  
  
Sharie poked him in the ribs, her glare saying she was not amused. "I only took the precatuion of learning it, which is more than I can say for you," she replied a bit darkly.  
  
"Okay, okay, sorry. Now, will you help me or leave me to suffer?"  
  
She smiled then, not truly angry with him. That was an impossiblity. "Here, adjust this..."  
  
"TJ here," said their teammate's voice a few minutes later.  
  
"Hey, Teej," said Andros cheerfully. "Just calling to tell you that we are in one piece, and on the trail. Some of the natives agreed to put us up for the night, so we will be down here."  
  
"You need anything?"  
  
"No. We will call if we do," said Andros, a smile on his face. Ashley could not get enough of it, especially when only weeks before, he was so cold.  
  
"Still, be careful," Jeanette's voice came over the system. "The atmosphere is not exactly friendly, you know."  
  
After shutting off the system, they fell to discussing tomorrow's plans.  
  
"I guess the rope was a smart thing to have handy after all," admitted Andros, looking at his thoughtfully. "It looks like we will have to do a lot of climbing tomorrow."  
  
"I know," sighed Sharie, leaning back in her chair. "I think we should start on the East slope."  
  
"How do you know that?" asked Carlos, coming over to sit beside her and grinning despite himself when she leaned against him.  
  
"This," she said, indicating the next stanza.  
  
The face that faces  
The rising sun,  
My heir, you are getting close,  
To you and the power joining as one.  
  
She raised her eyes. "Settle your question?"  
  
Carlos laughed, and kissed her on the tip of the nose. He could not help himself, when she looked so irresistably cute like that. Everyone else shook their heads and grinned knowingly.  
  
Cassie stifled a yawn. "Let's hit the sack, guys," she mumbled. "I am zonked. And we should get an early start tomorrow. My only question is, how do we sleep with these masks on?"  
  
"The rooms come with sleepwear. Attach the belts to your waists to secure it, and the masks will stay on when you sleep," Sharie yawned also. "Bed does sound pretty good right now."  
  
Everyone headed to bed after a brief visit by Janna to wish them goodnight. As Sharie removed clothing from the replicator, she reflected they were more advanced than she had thought, to have such technology. And yet, she had seen no indication of spaceflight...  
  
She adjusted the waistband of her nightgown, clipping on her respirator and ajusting the mask on her face as she came out of the bathroom. Trey had changed as well, sitting tiredly on his bed, looking like he was about to lose consciousness. Sharie went to him, hesistating, then quickly pushed aside her mask long enough to give him a quick kiss on the cheek. He smiled in response, pulling her in for a fierce hug before releasing her.  
  
"Goodnight, Lalinka."  
  
"Goodnight, Trey."  
  
The beds were a welcome relief to their sore bodies, deep, soft, and warm, the kind that instantly transports you to dreamland. They sank in, and, exhausted, were asleep instantly.  
  
****  
  
The night was a long one. Not only were the rangers completely worn out, but they had a lot on their minds, from brooding over this mission to their own personal problems.  
  
Carlos, who hated sleeping in strange places, tossed and turned for half an hour, despite the *really* comfortable bed. He did not bother Andros, who always slept like a log, but it did catch the attention of Troy, who also had a lot on his mind and could not sleep.  
  
"Would you please not make so much noise?" he asked gently but tonelessly. "I am trying to think."  
  
"Sorry," murmered Carlos. "I cannot exactly sleep...strange bed, this mask. Quiero a dormir in mi dormitorio." He was tired enough to unconsicously slip back into his second tongue, spanish.  
  
"What did you say? I do not know that language."  
  
"Oh, sorry. That was spanish, my family's other language. I said, in short, that I would rather sleep in my own bedroom." He stifled a yawn, tossing his longish hair out of his eyes. "I will try not to bother you anymore, okay? After I settle down in a strange place, I usually fall asleep, all right?"  
  
"Understood. Goodnight, Carlos."  
  
"'night."  
  
A few moments later, Carlos was sound asleep. Troy shook his head, smiling to himself. Humans were a fascinating lot. These were the first humans he had ever met. Trey had told him about his adventures with the first ones he had encountedered as Earth's mysterious Gold Ranger. They had been an exceptionally kind lot, despite the planet's reputation.  
  
Back up, rewind, he reminded himself. He *had* met one human...the one called Billy Cranston, who had come at one point to try and help Trey rejoin. He had seemed kind, smart, and willing, but Troy had not known him long enough to form a real opinion.  
  
He was shaken out of his thoughts again when he heard muffled cries as Andros began to toss and turn, uttering strangled gasps before he sat up with a cry, his eyes wild, his pupils dialated with horror and pain. A strange word--Karone--passed his lips as his hands relfexively moved to grasp a silver-colored charm that always hung about his neck, faint tearstains on his cheeks. He shook for several moments before he began to get his bearings and realized where he was, and absorbed the fact Troy was watching him.  
  
"Are you all right?" asked Troy, concerned.  
  
"Y-yes," the boy in red stammered, wiping his face with his sleeve as if he was used to waking up in such a state, which he was. "J-just nightmares-- old memories. That's all."  
  
"Will you be all right?"  
  
"I'll be fine. Sorry I bothered you." Andros lay back down with a sigh, swallowing and willing the last of the visions of his nighmare dancing before his eyes.  
  
"You are not bothering me," said Troy softly. He could tell that what was bothering Andros was more than just a nightmare, but he did not press the issue. He figured it was none of his business, and sensed that Andros would most likely not discuss it. Andros, despite his problems, fell asleep in short order out of sheer exhaustion, and Troy, while still brooding alternately between how strange humans were and how these powers, if gotten, would change his life, he also fell asleep.  
  
****  
  
Things were hardly any better in the girl's room. Cassie was troubled by something, and Ashley did not know exactly what. Cassie had been acting this way ever since this morning, when she had recieved an e-mail from her parents. Even now, she was tossing and turning, mumbling to herself, though Ashley could not hear her.  
  
*I cannot believe this. My parents are moving to Angel Grove now, and in my mother's condition...* The thought sprang unbidden into Ashley's mind. She closed her eyes and groaned. *Oh no, not again. I hate this...*  
  
Now *those* were her thoughts.  
  
She hated this, hated when it happened. It was a secret that drove her insane and made her uncomfortable as hell when it happened to her. Or, when she felt, like now, that tomorrow was going to be dangerous, she was always right. It never failed.  
  
But it was so intermittent. Oftentimes, she knew what somebody wanted before they even said it, or what they were thinking before they spoke. It was so embarrassing when she realized that sometimes she reciprocated on a request, question, or statement...before they even asked!  
  
She never told anybody. She hated what she could do. And it really, really scared her at times, especially when she was thinking of something she wanted and somebody got it for her, without her even asking! They simply srugged it off, saying things like, "Here, I thought you'd want this."  
  
Oh! It made her shudder with fear, and feeling like a misfit.  
  
It had not been so unusual that she could do this with her brothers. They were triplets, right? Many multiples could do that with the siblings they had been born with. She and her surviving twin, Johnathan, still finished each other's sentences with ease, and all the remarkable things twins could do. But she had been the only one to do those types of things with others as well, no matter how intermittent. And she kept her mouth shut about it. It made her feel like a freak. She hoped nobody would ever find out--it should not happen so strongly in humans, should it? Only weird psychics could do that. And yet, Andros, an ordonary boy, could do telekenesis...  
  
At last, torn between trying to drown out the telepathic noise she kept recieving from Cassie and her own worries, she fell asleep, her dreams were strange, of never having to speak again because whatever she thought about, happened.  
  
****  
  
Muffled cries and sobs intruded on his sleep like a slap in the face. Gasping, he jerked awake and sat bolt upright, his heart pounding at having come back to consciousness so fast.  
  
*Sharie!* was his first coherent thought. He felt his heart twist to see her shaking in bed, whimpering in her sleep, and thrashing about as if desperate to get away from something. She was in the grips of a terrifying nightmare.  
  
His heart leaped into his throat, and he jumped himself, when she suddenly let out a strangled shriek, choking out, "No! No! Don't let them hurt you, Trey, don't let them get to you! I am right over here! I am trying to get home! Please, don't die! Hold on! Please...."  
  
Shocked to his toes by what he heard, he froze in astonishment, unable to move, as she continued railing. "Trey, I wish you could hear me. I am so close. Dark Dresden has me! He brought me with him, hoping I would see you die! Please, please get up!" her cries of anguish became more heartfelt than he had ever before heard out of her. "I love you! Don't die, please!"  
  
Still unable to move, his mind raced. What was she talking about? He did not recall seeing Sharie when Dark Dresden held her captive those years ago. Yes, during that time he had been badly injured in battle several times, but he had never seen her there, and how could she have seen him, unless...  
  
His blood ran cold as he ferverently hoped it was not a suppressed memory. His injuries today had reawakened some unplesant memories, and bled afresh old hurts, that they did not care to think about. During the time she seemed to be crying out about, there were still periods she could not remember, for they were too horrifying to allow her subconscious to reveal them to her. Another thought caused even more fear and anger to race down his spine. He hoped it was not because she clearly remembered, and was not telling him! Despite the fact they had shared much, he still knew very little about her, how she had grown up, and was still a mystery to everyone. She was much too closed-mouthed for her own good, and he knew he was guilty of the same thing. Each thought that the other was too burdened to lay them further with their own troubles. No, he hoped this nightmare was something her mind had fabricated, nothing more.  
  
She shrieked again, a wail of pure terror and torment, and sat bolt upright, her purple eyes wild and unseeing, glazed and glowing with sheer horror. "No, NO!!!" came the horrified scream.  
  
She was shaking with agony, her face soaked with tears. She sat upright, gasping for air, her eyes still unseeing, as she cried, still in the throes of her nightmare.  
  
The sight of it twisted Trey's heart further and unlocked his body at last. He was over there in a split second. Not wanting to startle her further-- knowing Sharie, it could be dangerous--he sat carefully beside her, laying hands gently on her shoulders and looking into her eyes. They reflected his image back at him, and did not acknowlege him in the least. Her terrifying dream still had it's grips upon her senses.  
  
She was quiet for a moment, the tears falling unheeded down her face, then she moaned softly. "Trey, why don't you get up? There is blood soaking your tunic, running down from your head...he stabbed you in the back, why don't you move? You need help....Oh, Gods, please get up! My life is not worth it if you are not alive to share it with me!" She started to tremble again with suppressed sobs, and Trey was startled to feel tears filling his own eyes. No, no matter how dangerous this was, he had to get her out of her warped dream-world now, free her from the terror. He had only recently become aware of her frequent nightmares, since they had increased sharply since Dark Dresden's attack had almost ripped her emotionally asunder, and he was prone to them himself once in a while, but he had never seen her like this. He doubted if it was her first time, either.  
  
He shook her gently, feeling her quiver as he pulled her close. "Come on, Lalinka," he soothed gently. "Wake up. It is only a nightmare. You must wake up..."  
  
She gasped, and began to push him away, as if he was someone in her nightmare, forcibly restraining her. "Let me go, you *Hock'thath!* I hate you! I hate you!"  
  
He froze, feeling a stabbing sensation deep within his soul, though he knew that her words were not really directed at him, nor had her crude language. But still, the thought of her hating him was worse, hurt worse and tore at him more than anything he could recall.  
  
"*Sharie!*" he said a bit more firmly, shaking her, desperately trying to get her awake. "Wake up! It is a nightmare only, and no one is going to hurt you! Please, wake up!"  
  
She gasped, and froze, still at last. She grabbed ahold of his shoulders and yanked backwards, her eyes now startlingly clear as they looked, shocked, into his own. Clear, but also livid with pain, guilt, and anguish, the tears still streaming unheeded down her cheeks.  
  
"T-Trey?" she stammered uncertainly. Relieved, he gathered her trembling frame close, trying hard to comfort her. "It is all right, Lalinka," he murmured. "It was only a nightmare..."  
  
"No, it was not..." she mumbled. "It was that awful day, when I saw you...you could have been killed...I am so sick of reliving that nightmare, and others like it..."  
  
Trey felt shock stiffen him. "Lalinka, do you mean to tell me..." he pulled back enough to look into her eyes, already going empty with the shield she was obviously trying hard to pull over them, to hide her anguish from him. "...you have these horrifying nightmares often? This is not the first time?"  
  
Looking down, refusing to meet his searching gaze, she nodded. He sighed, gathering her close, as her small frame continued to shake, but her eyes had gone dry the moment clarity had set in.  
  
*No way,* his mind thought to himself. He was not going to let her rebury something like that. If it took the rest of the night, he was going to get it out of her.  
  
However, she seemed almost grateful when he pulled her close again, trying to encourage her to tell him about it.  
  
"It is nothing..." she tried to reassure him. "I have had them for so many years...they had started to fade a few years ago at last..." Until recently, anyway, her posture conveyed, but she did not say aloud.  
  
However, she was much too tired and emotionally drained to resist his prodding that night. Little by little, he managed to get a simplified version out of her. It seemed Dark Dresden had forced her to accompany him to battle that day, and, keeping them both cloaked, had forced her to watch the events, and she herself had seen Trey cut down as he led Triforia's Army of Defense. Although he had not been morphed, he had to be dragged away by his friends. She had lived a nightmare for two days afterwards until Dark Dresden forced her to do it again, and she had seen her brother alive...  
  
"It was one of his games of mental torture," she mumbled. "He was trying to break me, and he figured it was a good way." She did not tell him that it had almost worked, too, or that she had seen him cut down in battle, just like that, more than once. She just as preferred he did not know.  
  
Trey was both dumbfounded and infuriated. Gods, he remembered that bloody battle with too much clarity as it was. He had been distracted by his grief at her disappearance, and had almost not cared when his enemy plunged the dagger into his unmorphed chest. And she had *seen* it....and numerous other things like that too, he guessed...no wonder she had been so badly affected earlier when he had been hurt! And no wonder for her nightmare...at least tonight. How had she hid these from him for so long?  
  
"I don't think I am usually so noisy," she said with a weak smile when he voiced this thought. "And my mind barriers are usually up high enough so that you do not sense them. It must have startled you, hearing my scream."  
  
Startled him? It had sent ice up his spine and goosebumps raising across his flesh. His arms around her tightened as she sniffled and laid her head on his chest. It was also not fair that, despite their problems, Sharie knew him better than he knew himself at times. She was perfectly aware when he had nightmares, though they were not as often, nor had he reacted so noisily as she had.  
  
He was quiet for a few more minutes, until he realized her trembling had entirely ceased. He glanced down, her eyes were closed, her brown lashes long and dark upon her pale face and her golden hair tumbling onto her face. Her breathing was even at last, though still shaky.  
  
Gently, so he would not disturb her, he moved carefully, getting up and laying her back down, straightening her tangled covers and brushing her hair out of her face. She whimpered slightly, but did not awaken. He stared for a moment and stared at her, knowing that this was the only time her emotional defenses went down completely. He ferverently hoped that there would not be a repeat performance of such magnitude again, though he doubted it. Which was very bad, since, though she was mature in most ways, dealing with her turbulent emotions in the more healthy ways was not one of them. Never wanting to hurt others, or bother them with her problems, she buried them. Neither was he, he was guilty of much the same thing most of the time, because of their inherently stubborn nature.  
  
*Will it ever allow us to let go of the past?* he wondered tiredly, moving at last toward his own bed and tumbling sleepily beneath the covers. *Must we both be haunted the rest of our days for something that has happened, and is done with?*  
  
He was too tired to contemplate it much further, because, unknowingly, sleep came stealing in and forced his eyes closed. His dark lashes fell to touch his brozened cheeks once more, and he was aware of nothing else.  
  
The next thing he knew, it was morning.  
  
****  
  
Almost everyone was very tired the next morning when they woke up. Despite the troublesome night, they forced themselves to awaken early, grumbling, and pull on their clothes, mumbling silent complaints when they adjusted their masks, and stumbled, yawning, toward the recreation room.  
  
The only ones who were really awake were Carlos and Cassie, whom, after tossing and turning for a short while the night before, had finally fallen asleep and had not reawakened all night long, sleeping the sleep of the dead. Everyone else had had some night trouble or other.  
  
Carlos, glad to see Sharie again, immediately sought her out when he first saw her. She smiled and accepted her hand within his clasp, but he was not oblivious to the fact that something was not quite right. She looked exhausted, and her faced was flushed, and she was not meeting her brother's gaze. She seemed almost embarrassed or askance about something.  
  
He thought about asking, then changed his mind and decided not to pry unless it became an issue. Maybe she would confide in him later, but he was not going to force it out of her.  
  
Sharie finished going over the contents of her pack as she silently cursed herself for her childish behaivor last night. To her eyes, she had acted like an infant, unable to control her emotions enough to stay silent. When she usually had these nightmares, she swallowed her pain and went back to sleep, her practicality trying to reassure her (often unsuccessfully) that it was only a nightmare from the past. And that story Trey had managed to pry out of her last night...oh, how she wished she had never told him, she had never wanted him to know or add to his pain. Nor had she ever wanted him to know that her dreams tormented her so much. Knowing him, he would worry often now not only if she had a nightmare, but what else in her past was there that she was not telling him. All of them only knew the tiniest of fractions of what she had been through, or who she really was still. There were just too many secrets she could never reveal....  
  
He was looking at her again, she sensed, and out of the corner of her eye, as they gathered around a table, she saw the determination in Trey's dark gaze to trap her later and try and talk to her about last night. And she would have no choice but to talk back. He was worried, she knew, he worried far too much about her as it was. Now this...  
  
Everyone was trying to rub the last of the sleep out of their eyes as they checked everything over, making sure everything worked and their plans for the day were still the same. Finally, hoping they remembered the way, they wandered down the halls to the main dining area. Tamio, looking slightly surprised, met them.  
  
"Is early," he said in his broken Standard. "Should still be sleep yet."  
  
"We have a lot to do today," Sharie answered with a smile. "Soon, we must leave."  
  
"Princess Janna be here soon," he said, waving his hand and leading them over to a table. "Bring twin, prince Judan, and father, Lord Dartanyon. She talk, he want to meet you. Really want to meet Rangers, planet leaders. This planet--get few people of importance."  
  
"We only do our job," said Ashley, blushing and fidgeting. It was true...why should it be any distinction?  
  
"Help others, yes?" he said, raising an eyebrow. "After meet, Lord Dartanyon say you may continue quest."  
  
Sharie spoke in his tongue so he would more easily understand. "Thank you, Tamio," she smiled warmly. "You have been a wonderful help, and we appreciate it."  
  
For the first time, color rose on his cheeks and his eyes sparkled. They told her how much he appreciated the compliment as he said, "They are here."  
  
In walked a man, though simply dressed, had clothes of such finery on it was no doubt he was the man they had heard about. Behind him were Princess Janna and a young man looking like a masculine version of her, obviously prince Judan. Regally, they approached the table, everyone present doing the customary kneel, heads bowed, arms crossed over chests. With a distracted wave, Lord Dartanyon signaled them to rise. They remained standing as he passed.  
  
Out of Earthly habit for Kings and queens, all the rangers rose to stand when the trio came to stand at the table, though Sharie had to nudge Trey before he did so. She also did it out of habit, but he did not have such compulsions.  
  
Tamio approached and knelt before the royal Trio in the customary fashion, not moving when he felt Lord Dartanyon's hand on his head, a signal that he had found favor in his leader's eyes. "My lords, my Lady," he murmured.  
  
"Go, Tamio, and leave us," Lord Dartanyon dismissed him with a wave of his hand. The young man bowed and vanished as quietly has he had come.  
  
*Do they never get any respect?* the group wondered, not realizing that the hand-on-head symbol was a sign of favoritism. It sounded like Tamio had been rudely pushed aside. But what could they say, without insulting the leaders of this world?  
  
For a moment, the Lord of this planet regarded the rangers with a usual, superior air, his blue eyes looking them over, as if judging them.  
  
At last, he spread his arms in a majestic gesture and spoke in perfect standard. "Greetings, visitors. You are welcome here on Indri III. This is my son, Prince Judan, and as you know, my daughter, Princess Janna. May I enquire as to which ones of you are Lord Trey and Princess Sharie, both of Triforia?"  
  
It took all of Sharie's stringent self-control not to blush. Sometimes she still did not feel that her rank should make any difference, or Trey's, even to offworlders.  
  
Trey, although he was thinking along same lines, nodded his head respectfully. "I am Trey, lord of Triforia."  
  
"And I am Sharie, princess of Triforia." said the girl with the golden hair.  
  
The Royal Trio nodded their heads respectfully also.  
  
Sharie barely stifled a frown as she suddenly felt Judan's eyes on her. His blue eyes were roving her, and she did not like it. She knew he meant no harm, but she inhaled sharply as she felt his mind trying to brush hers, trying to find out more about her. She sensed that this was probably how these people got to know one another.  
  
Still, she hated the attempted mental invasion. She had tolerated Janna's because she had been trying to get the woman's respect. Unwilling to tolerate such a second go-around, she set up her mental shields full force, sending him a gentle, yet firm message that she disapproved of what he was doing, though she knew he meant no disrespect. She also moved closer to Carlos, telling the price that she was involved with someone else at present.  
  
He flushed, his eyes lowered in embarrassment. He sent one more message-- an apology for the cultural misunderstanding, and the fact that he only respected her. Her final reply was that she knew such things happened, and let's just put it behind us. He smiled in reponse.  
  
Lord Dartanyon, during this time, was continuing, "I am pleased to meet you all. My dear Janna has told me of your quest. Be aware that the white mountain is sacred to us, and mostly unexplored. We don't set foot on it. Since you are offoworlders, you may do so. Our only request is that you not show any disrespect by intentionally harming the earth if you can help it. Otherwise, you are free to go. Are we in agreement?"  
  
Of course, they agreed. Just getting permission to explore was a great acheivement, much easier than having to sneak or fight for the right to do so.  
  
"All right then," the leader continued. "Janna will escort you outside this establishment, but then you are on your own. I wish you luck on finding the powers you speak of. Rest assured we have no use for it. Good- bye and good luck."  
  
****  
  
The group of Rangers stood at the foot of the immense mountain before them. The glaring whiteness of the grand peaks radiated their blindign whiteness in the morning sun, having a profound effect on them all, even Janna and Judan, who had also chosen to accompany him.  
  
*Now I understand why they hold it in such reverence,* Sharie thought to herself.  
  
"This is it," said Judan. "Janna and I dare not go any closer. After this, you are on your own."  
  
"Thank you so much," said Troy, who had been oddly silent all morning.  
  
Sharie frowned, then spoke up. "There is one more thing you should know. Yesterday, before we came here, we were attacked by a band of pirates led by an evil man named Merdok. We chased him away, but he may come back, and try to extract revenge."  
  
"Merdok!" gasped Janna. "That scoundrel is back around here? He proved untrustworthy a couple of years ago, so we told him never to come back. He left, but if he comes back...our weapons technology are not the best for intergalactic defense. We are capeable of limited spaceflight, but we do not wish to leave our world."  
  
"We can handle him," said Andros. "Our powers will protect us, if necessary, and our ships are in orbit in case of defense."  
  
Janna nodded in understanding. "Good-bye now, and good luck on your mission." They noticed when she and Judan began to walk backwards out of the presence of the mountain, for their reverence was strong. It was not until they were some distance away that they turned their backs and disappeared from sight.  
  
In silence, the group swallowed their tongues and continued on their journey toward the white mountain. They did not talk much except for casual discussion on finding the defunct Zeo Crystal, and how they were going to retrieve it.  
  
Carlos noticed Sharie was still trying to keep her distance from her brother, and it troubled him to see such strain between the usually inseperable pair. He fell back into step with her, wondering if he could pry the reason out of her.  
  
But she had other ideas, taking one look into his eyes and shaking her head. She would not talk about it, so Carlos had to settle for her slipping her hand into his and pulling them both away from Trey, who had been trying to slip closer.  
  
Brushing up on his meager skills at telepathy, he flashed at her, *At least tell me, Querida, that you are not in major trouble.*  
  
She sighed, as if impatient, and he felt her mind thundering back into his, *No, Carlos, I am not in that sort of trouble. It is just not something to be discussed.*  
  
Carlos mentally shrugged and left it at that. He sensed her underlying bristling, and he decided not to risk blowing her top over a trivial matter.  
  
****  
  
It did not take long to finally get to the real base of the mountain. The sun was nearly overhead by then, so they hustled eastward toward the side facing the sun. Restlessly, they began to climb the rather steep trail, stumbling over rocks, most fearful of turning an ankle...or worse.  
  
****  
  
Finally, puffing, they came to the first real flat area, though not very wide and not much room to be had. Rising above them in the noonish light was a jagged cliff, the sun flashing off the height of several yards.  
  
"Time to climb," sighed Andros, not looking forward to this. He doubted nobody else really was, either.  
  
Reluctantly, they dug out their climbing apparel Sharie had made sure they still had, and got ready. Aiming the tiny guns, they fired the ropes up to where they anchored at the top. After fastening the safety harness, they went two by two slowly up the steep cliff, struggling for footholds and trying to avoid heart attacks.  
  
Despite all their training, however, there were enough accidents, slippings, and stumblings to keep the fear alive in all of their minds. Frequent cries of "Oh, my goodness!" "Look out!" "Watch out for that-- !!!" "Help!" punctuated the air before the hapless climber would regain his or her footing.  
  
Going up two by two, Sharie and Troy made it up first, to help the next stragglers up the cliff as much as they could help. They kept a sharp eye on the ropelines, to make sure none came loose, nor the harnesses. Sharie's heart nearly choked in her throat as Carlos, about five feet from the top, stepped on a loose rock and slid six feet before he caught himself. Their mutual relief was enormous when he was safely beside her.  
  
Once that little adventure was settled, they found themselves on a wide plain of sorts on the mountainside, and another, steeper cliff nearby. Otherwise, walking across the plain, it was a distance to the next climbable trail.  
  
The need to explore won out, however, so they chose the long way around. The other reason, a genuine fear of falling, was mutual as well.  
  
Carlos, bored, pulled out his copy of the stanzas and read the next one at first to himself, then out loud.  
  
Above the plain of white,  
And the snow-colored cliffs,  
Search, search with all your might,  
For the cave opening where the sand thickly drifts.  
  
Sharie sighed, not having asked for the stanza yet but at least glad for something new to contemplate. Suddenly, the computer padd in her hand, and the translation in Troy's, began to glow as T'Sar's spirit became impatient again.  
  
"What does he want?" sighed Cassie tiredly.  
  
"Try looking up," said Ashley unexpectedly. For some reason, she blushed, but it was not really noticed as several pairs of eyes turned upward, where, faintly over the steep cliff, a cave enterance could be seen.  
  
"Um...how do we go up?" suqeaked Ashley, though she knew the answer. She just did not want to endure it again.  
  
"No way but the obvious," stated Andros, holding up his climbing equipment and looking at it in disgust.  
  
"Oh, brother," muttered Carlos. "Well, let's get moving so it is over with sooner."  
  
This time, Sharie and Ashley went up first, slipping, gasping, and holding on with all their might as they scaled the deadly-looking, steep cliff. A hot, sharp wind caused them to sweat, and in turn made their hands slippery and climbing even more difficult. Finally, though, they made it, exhausted, to the top. Relieved that it was over, they assisted the others up onto the narrow ledge.  
  
They made it up the cliff, with no mishaps. It is funny how, just as they put them away, and it seemed that nothing more could go wrong, danger had to really strike.  
  
Andros, who was near the edge, accidentally slipped on a loose rock that sent him skidding over the side to hurtle toward oblivion. Just before it happened, and he could fall out of range, Ashley's senses began to scream "Danger! Danger!" She turned and lunged at Andros so fast she was a blur, and she caught his hand before he fell out of range.  
  
A second later, Carlos was by her side, catching Andros's other hand as the boy, scared to death by the suddenness of it all, dangled below them.  
  
"Thanks," he gasped, sheet-white. "Now, think you could pull me up?" Grunting, they did so, pulling him up until he managed to sit on the edge and Ashley was kneeling beside him, hugging him for all she was worth. Everyone was flooded with relief as Andros got over his fright.  
  
"Th-thanks," he managed again, panting. "Ash, how did you manage to move so fast?"  
  
She blushed, not wanting to admit the real reason. "Just a feeling," she said at last. She was for once grateful this had happened, her brain warning her of impending danger. This did not happen too often, unlike her other mental skills. However, she still preferred no one know.  
  
Sharie gave her an odd glance, looked like she was about to say something, then changed her mind. She merely turned and went to examine the cave entrance. It was rather wide, and pitch-black looking.  
  
"How could we begin to see?" asked Troy. "The lights on our tools could not begin to penetrate this gloom."  
  
"I think I might be able to help with that," said Trey unexpectedly. "This is one of the few spells I attempted to learn...ever. I do not like dabbling in magic, but this spell has proven helpful more than once. Golden Power Staff!" he called. The staff appeared in his hand, and Trey quickly muttered some strange-sounding words. Suddenly, a strange yellowish light, bright, glowed from a ball that appeared out of nowhere above them.  
  
"How'd you do that?" asked Carlos as Trey sent his staff away.  
  
The Lord of Triforia shrugged. "Just something that seemed necessary to learn. I only learned a few basic spells I thought would be necessary. I also use them as little as possible."  
  
They started inside the cave. The glowing ball shed enough light to basically see in this gloom, but not enough to see everything clearly. They went slowly, for as often as they had been injured in the past days, they did not care to do so again. After turning dark corners twice, they came to a dead end.  
  
"Oh, no..." moaned Ashley softly. "We must have taken a wrong turn somewhere."  
  
"Then let's go back and try again," muttered Carlos, but no one really heard him.  
  
A brilliant glow suddenly lit up the corridor with a spectacular light. Before the startled group coalsced a humanoid figure, blurry at first, but his features soon became clear. A handsome man he was--or at least what used to be him-- stood there, with dark hair and eyes that appeared blue, and full of kindness. Determination also showed in their depths. Sharie had an inkling of who this was.  
  
"T'Sar?" she asked hesistantly. The figure looked at her and nodded silently, then pointed to the computer pad in her hand. "Read it," his eyes seemed to say. She quickly obliged him.  
  
Your search is nearly done,  
Behind stones, one, two three,  
You will find the Zeo Crystal with the power,  
And you will set me free.  
  
Troy looked at him, as if to confirm the words. The apparition smiled at him, nodded, and promptly vanished.  
  
"Three stones?" the boy eched weakly. "But this cave is full of rocks!"  
  
"Do we have much choice?" asked Cassie. "Let's start looking."  
  
The team spent the next hour turning over every stone they could find, getting more and more discouraged, and feeling defeated when they could come up with nothing.  
  
"This is fruitless," muttered Carlos, flopping to the ground. The rest also stopped to rest fora few minutes to think of what to do next, when Cassie absently nudged a small pile of stones by her foot. They fell away, and she felt the blood drain from her face as she noticed a small, cloth- wrapped bundle. She looked at the three stones that had been covering it, and she realized she had not before seen them, they must have been overlooked....she picked up the bundle while uttering a cry.  
  
"Troy! Guys! I found something!"  
  
She was surrounded in record time, exclaiming over the discovery. Carefully, Cassie handed the bundle to Troy, who took it after a moment's hesistation. With caution, he unwrapped it, drawing gasps from the others at what was inside. A crystal lay inside, glowing eerily silver. Basically, it's shape was narrower in the middle, and widened to two triangles at both ends. Holding it made Troy feel very strange, as he felt the power within the crystal calling to him, beckoning to him somehow.  
  
Temporarily resisting the urge, his blue eyes glowing, he murmured, "I believe, my friends, this is what we have searched so hard for."  
  
He was not deaf to their sighs of relief, but he did not mind the congratulations that came his way, at now being able to realize his dream. Like them, he mused, as he put the crystal away, he was very glad this adventure was mostly over...or so he thought.  
  
They left the cave, eager to begin home, when they found themselves looking down the cliff that had almost killed Andros earlier.  
  
"Anyone feel like going rappelling?" teaased Carlos.  
  
Groans answered him. "Very funny, Carlos," admonished Sharie, though she gave him a half-smile. "I will go down first again, if there are no objections. Anyone want to join me?"  
  
This time, Andros volunteered to go with her. "I would rather get it over with," he explained, and she could not blame him. Quickly tying on their harnesses, they slid down the cliff quickly. It was more fun than climbing, but their relief was still considerable when they reached the wide plain.  
  
At last, all but Troy had come down, when out of nowhere, came an evil laugh. Those who were down whirled just in time to see Merdok the Pirate teleport in with a huge crowd of his cronies.  
  
"Well," he stated, surveying the group before him."I should say this is a fine time for revenge. You are all here, defenseless, and not in your oh- so-powerful ships. Oh, by the way, your friends still on board your ships did not sense us coming back, for you are not the only ones with cloaking technology. I just had to get more of my fleet, the ones that had the ships," he sneered. "Now, you must die. Destroy them!" he commanded his followers. They advanced upon the rangers, who immediately activated their powers.  
  
"It's Morphin time!" came the twin cry of the Zeo Duo as they crossed their wrists.  
  
"Let's Rocket!" cried the Astro Team, following with the "3, 3, 5" activation of their powers. Within moments, they had morphed into Power Rangers, shocking Merdok, who tried to cover up his astonishment with a sneer.  
  
"Merely a light show, a trick," he snapped. "Attack!"  
  
Despite their powers protecting them, they realized that there were enough of Merdok's cronies to keep them fighting for a long while, a sizeable opprotunity for them to be overwhelmed. For now, they simply tried to hand on and defend themselves, for they did not even get a chance to reach for their weapons when they were pounced upon, save for the power staffs of the Zeo Duo.  
  
Above them, unseen, Tro was watching. *I have got to do something, but how?* he wondered, drawing out the crystal and staring at it. *I do not know how to activate this thing!*  
  
Suddenly, the crystal vibrated slightly and began to glow a bright silver. Troy froze as he suddenly heard a disembodied voice in his mind. *You must relax, Troy of Triforia, and focus on becoming one with the power. They will do the rest. This is your destiny.*  
  
Troy obeyed, holding the crystal in his hands. Forcing his mind off the turmoil below,he made himself relax, focusing on the glowing crystal. Its vibration increased, and a searing fire suddenly jolted through his mind, burning his senses to the core. Gasping, he dropped the crystal, his whole body suddenly tingling with fire and eerie sensation as his body underwent this new onslaught. Suddenly, a new, inner instinct made him relax as the raging field of energy consumed his being entirely, melding, it seemed, to his soul, his inner core. He felt himself become one with the power and it's purpose, as those before him had done eons ago. His senses heightened, his reflexes enhanced. He felt his power, his being, make that vital, permanent connection with the morphin grid. Another surge of fiery energy ripped through him, completing the process, even as it took Troy to his knees in pain, face in his hands and bowed over, shaken by what had just occured to him.  
  
Just as suddenly, the pain was gone. Troy stumbled to his feet. He saw that he looked no different, but he sure felt different, and not just because of his heightened abilities. All of his foreboding about these powers were gone, to be replaced by a new self-confidence. He realized that this was, indeed, his destiny.  
  
Cries from below caught his attention, and he cautiously glanced downward. He saw his friends were badly outnumbered, even Sharie, with her well-known diverse fighting skills, she was having considerably difficulty keeping the pirates off her.  
  
*Time to see what these new powers can do,* Troy thought. Doing what was suddenly second nature to him, he closed his eyes and called out, "I call upon the Nightstriker Warrior Powers!"  
  
His hands were outstretched, and a glowing ball appeared in them, crackling with energy. Suddenly, a bolt of energy shot from the ball directly into his chest. For a moment, a sliver glow filled the air around him, then it faded.  
  
Troy looked at himself in astonishment. His new costume was, for the most part, black, but highlighted in silver. On his chest was a silver shield, rather like the ones worn by both Sharie and Trey. Emblazoned on the chestplate was the same design as the pendant, a hand weilding a sword over a starry background. His helmet design matched what the now-empty crystal had been, narrow in the middle, but widening into a triangular shape on both ends.  
  
Battle sounds caught his attention, letting him know once again that he was needed below.  
  
****  
  
Down below, the fight wore on. More and more of the cronies were overwhelming them, when suddenly they heard a new voice cry, "Sie-Kyuh!" and a whirlwind of silver enter their midst. When it came to a halt, the black-and-silver ranger stood in it's place, and they knew instantly it was Troy, coming to help them. TJ, meanwhile, had also joined in the fight. Now, with eight rangers, they welcomed the newcomers and began to fight in earnest.  
  
Troy was still fighting when one of the pirates held him immoble from behind. He tried a new tactic that rather scared him--the psychic blade, focusing his mind energy into the head of the other guy, stabbing him with psychic thought so the guy felt incredible pain. Yelling, he let go.  
  
"Strikestaff!" cried Troy. The weapon, about three-fourths his height, appeared in his hand. It looked like an ordinary fighting bo, but it could become very sharp at both ends. Troy used it to bludgeon his enemy out cold.  
  
*This is *so* fantastic,* he thought, using his newfound abilities to render his opponents senseless.  
  
Sharie was fighting when she noticed out of the corner of her eye that her brother was being ganged up upon by the enemy. She felt an icy chill run down her spine as one of them drew an energy weapon and took a fatal aim, straight at Trey's heart.  
  
Near-panic, unwanted images flashing before her eyes, she felt instinct kick in. "Violet Rush!"  
  
Similar to a gold rush, it had the same intent and purpose as she rushed through the pirate in a whirl of half-visible violet light. He yelled and dropped qickly, the weapon flying.  
  
"Thanks, Lalinka," Trey called while freeing himself from his persuers, as the fight went on.  
  
At long last, only a few remained. Bodies littered the ground. Sharie doubted they were dead, but most of them were certainly out cold.  
  
"Give it up, Merdok, you can't win," said Troy, straightening his spine.  
  
His cold eyes narrowed in rage. "You may have won this round, but this is far from over!" he vowed. "I will be back, and that is a promise!" Angrily, he made a gesture, and he, along with every pirate on the plain, vanished, leaving the rangers alone.  
  
The rangers looked at each other for a moment, then demorphed. All eyes turned to Troy.  
  
"Well?" asked Cassie. "How do you feel?"  
  
"I feel wonderful," he admitted with a smile, his blue eyes glittering brightly. "I know for certain now this was the right choice."  
  
For the last time, a bluish light filled the air, and the image of T'Sar appeared once again. This time, he looked very happy and relieved. Also, to their surprise, he spoke to them directly.  
  
"Thank you," he whispered. "Thank you for setting me free."  
  
"I am sure it was nothing, T'Sar," Sharie tried to assure the spectre. He turned a smile on her.  
  
"Yes, my dear, it was. I have waited a long time for the right person to come along and claim my powers. Troy was, of course, the obvious choice. The rest of you already had powers, and of course, Annika was too young. None of you are evil, and the powers are in good hands. I must leave you now, and again, I thank you all for your efforts. Good-bye." He vanished, leaving everyone staring after him in speechless wonder.  
  
****  
  
Only stopping briefly to tell Lord Dartanyon what had happened, they had made it back to Triforia without incident. Little Annika fairly danced with glee when she heard the news, for she was glad she had done the right thing.  
  
"I knew it, Father!" she crowed triumphantly, imagining him in the very hot place he was most likely residing in, according to her beliefs. "I knew that it would only be used for good. I told you so!" Sharie chuckled and Annika's new brother Tasik grinned, and took her by the hand. "Come on," he said. "I bet you cannot beat me at double-dutch!"  
  
****  
  
Jeanette sighed in frustration and rubbed her temples. What was going on between her children had not escaped her attention. Sharie was trying her utmost to avoid her brother, and seemed upset at something. But they were both keeping strictly mum on the subject. Jeanette could only hope they had not fought. She had to remind herself that, grown up or not, they were still brother and sister, in every sense of the word....  
  
The more Sharie tried to avoid him, the more she knew he was determined to catch her alone and pry unwanted information out of her. She was still ashamed about how she had acted in his presence the other night, and she did not care to discuss it further. She was only causing him more worry, and she wished he would forget about the incident. So she still had these nightmares, so what? It was not unusual for her to wake up several times a month shaking, sometimes tears pouring down her face. Her dreams were the only times she was unable to keep her control, her barriers, intact. She did not care to be fretted over because of this. And if her mother knew....  
  
He did not catch her alone until the end of the next day. She sighed in defeat as he appeared out of nowhere as she sat huddled on the windowseat of her room, without even bothering to knock first.  
  
This irritated her, and it showed in her tone. "Since when did your manners degrade so?" she asked impatiently by way of greeting. "At least I knock. What if I had been changing?"  
  
She turned to look at him, and saw that he was half-upset, half-amused at her tone. "I used to change your diapers, Lalinka," he reminded her. "Don't give me that." He turned completely serious. "You know why I am here."  
  
"Yes, and I do not care to discuss it," she said tonelessly.  
  
"You did the other night," he reminded her.  
  
"I only said the little I did because I was too upset to think straight," she mumbled, laying her head on her knees and not facing him. "What happened you do not need to know about."  
  
"I want to know, Lalinka," he said quietly, coming over and forcing her gaze to his. "Remember what happened the last time we tried to hard to hide our feelings from one another?"  
  
She felt her stomach twist as she saw the guilt in his eyes, and she knew that, no matter how much she reassured him, he would never forgive himself for that incident.  
  
"I cannot," she insisted softly. "I cannot have you and mother, or anyone else, worrying about me to the point of distraction. I have had to go too long without it, Trey. Despite what you say, my feelings are beside the point, and I cannot burden you or mother, or Carlos, with sob stories if I can possibly help it. I wish you would let the matter rest."  
  
The words *not again* seemed to ring throughout his brain as Trey almost sighed in defeat. Gods, what force had decreed she have such stubbornness beyond what most would consider normal? The last time, it had taken drastic steps to get her to open up to him, and he did not ever want to follow that route again.  
  
"Gods, Lalinka," he almost ground out. "Are you begging for an encore? Must this lead to another arguement? Why can't you just *talk*?"  
  
Her eyes flashed with guilt and anger. "I do not care for a repeat performance, Trey, but it would not come to this, also, if you would just drop it!"  
  
"Lalinka...." he groaned as he put his forehead in his hand as his thoughts whirled. "How can you keep mum about something like you said you saw? Seeing me cut down in front of your very eyes was not entertainment, and you know it. I remember that day, but I had no idea you were there."  
  
He saw momentary horror flash behind her eyes, and knew he had struck a chord somewhere. He persisted. "And you were only feet away as I lay bleeding nearly to death. How much of that can a person stand, Lalinka? Much less a child?"  
  
She had begun to shiver violently. "Must you?" she whispered through chattering teeth. "I did not think you were capeable of such petty cruelty, Trey, to forcibly push me over the brink into insanity."  
  
Her words stabbed into his heart and twisted it, and he visibly flinched. Gods, had he gone too far? He felt his own eyes sting as he reached out and cupped her chin, forcing her gaze to his again.  
  
"Lalinka..." he began softly. "Why must you insist that I do not need to know these things, or that you are a stone who does not deserve the attention of others? What happened, Lalinka? You and I used to be so open with each other....why are we now so silent? I would worry about you even if I knew of no reasons at hand to be worried. I would not love you if I did not worry, Sharie, and you mean more to me than my life. *Please* do not mistrust me, Sharie. I know there is plenty you will never tell me...but gods, when you have something you need to get off your chest, *please*, all you need to do is tell me so *I* can quit worrying."  
  
"...It....it is hard..." she mumbled after a silence, and she did not notice the tears slipping down her face. Suddenly, much like she had done the other night, her defenses fell more easily than she could have imagined, and she did not object when he scooted closer and pulled her to him. "Gods, Trey, I am sorry, I did not mean to accuse you of...what is wrong with me?"  
  
"Nothing, absolutely nothing," he said softly, stroking her hair. "Tell me what happened, Sharie. It is the best thing you could do."  
  
"You want to hear the full horror story?" she asked, incredulous, but the urge to get it off her chest was suddenly a little too strong for her to rebury it. "Fine. Yes, I saw you cut down, and I felt so guilty for not being able to do anything that I provoked Dark Dresden later, hoping he would beat me so much that he would kill me. If you were dead, I did not want to live."  
  
"Gods, Lalinka, *suicide*?" He asked, horrified. "I would have never thought you would attempt..."  
  
"That was the only time in my life I attempted such cowardice," she admitted, ignoring the tears that streamed freely down her face. "I knew you would be ashamed of me for trying such a stunt, and besides, you lived. It was replaced with determination to get away, and get back to you."  
  
Little by little, the story came out, in all it's goriness. They were both shaking with horror and pain, and tears, by the time she clammed up again.  
  
"So now you know," she mumbled afterwards. "Trey, please don't force me to do that again in such a manner. I promise, if I want to talk, from now on I will try harder to do it, okay? I love you and that was as bad for you as it was for me, I can tell."  
  
He nodded almost absently as he held her tightly. At least he had her promise. "I love you, too, Lalinka," he assured her, at least grateful that they were now closer than ever. It could not be denied that an important barrier had been pulled down at last. But there was one point in which Sharie would not give, and that was telling their mother any of this. Trey agreed. He never told Jeanette much, either.  
  
****  
  
Troy looked at the pendant he now wore around his neck. He knew it was basically useless, now, but he desired to keep it as a momento. He had already started to use his powers to help others, and he had sworn to Trey that he would stand behind Triforia, should this world ever need his help. But he was also starting on the mission every Triforian undertook at some point or other in their lives, to go out and seek others in need of help. And he had no doubt he could do it. Time and destiny were on his side. 


	7. The Hydrohog: H, 2, UhOh

Disclaimer: Some are still saying Saban. Some are saying Disney. Others are saying Buena Vista. I'm just gonna spin the roulette wheel and whichever one is right the ball will stop on, 'k? Number seven in the From The Stars series. Ivan Ooze does make his appearance here, albeit briefly and not much as we knew him from the movie. Starhawk owns the concept of Color Withdrawl and kindly relented to my pleas to use it in this series (where we actually see it in effect in this story for the first time!....)  
  
RE-updated, 7/4/03: I accidentally deleted this part of the disclaimer: The Zeo Warriors concept here may sound, to Ellen Brand fans, rather like her Morphin Warriors concept. Rest assured that when I wrote these stories for the first time, I had no real knowledge of her stories. The similarity is by coincidence *only*. Ellen Brand is perfectly aware of this matter, as I contacted her about it before first posting this story, and is agreeable to it :D  
  
CAUTION. Heavy PG-13 rating established here! due to the fact I rewrote a certain love scene in here, making it a bit racier. I wish I'd been a bit more thorough when writing about Sharie and Carlos' first time, but I was always too chicken. Don't worry, I'll never sound like a penthouse letter (filthy-sounding things they are....) but I am also, for the first time, experimenting a little. So bear with me, and if you don't like such stuff, or are a parent reading this with a kid, cover their eyes!  
  
The Hydrohog: H, 2, Uh-oh... By ZeoViolet Teaser:The Hydrohog was big and bad before, right? Under Astronema's thumb, he gets even worse.  
  
"Ki-yah!"  
  
"Ki-yah!"  
  
"Ki-yah!"  
  
"Ki-yah!"  
  
The cries of four teenagers filled the air early one sunny morning in Angel Grove, California. A girl, dressed mainly in purple, was teaching three of her friends in yellow, black, and red some special martial arts moves from her homeworld.  
  
They were in Sharie's backyard, the gentle surf of the nearby lake lapping in their ears and the gentle breeze ruffling their windblown hair, especially those who did not think of tying it up before they began in the first place.  
  
"No, Carlos," Sharie patiently told her boyfriend. "Lock your feet in *this* position first, *then* kick up." She demonstrated the move again.  
  
"Like this?" He tried again, this time keeping his balance so he did not fall forward.  
  
"That's a lot better," she favored him with a smile, her purple eyes dancing merrily into his black ones.  
  
Carlos looked into those bottomless depths and could only grin back, albeit, he suspected, a bit foolishly. Those eyes had the...strangest way of confounding him at times...it took him a minute to tear his eyes away enough to keep on practicing.  
  
"Where is Cassie already?" panted Ashley, flopping onto the sand to rest. "Surely she could get away from the hospital for a *little* while."  
  
"So she has a new baby sister," answered Carlos, pausing also to breathe. "I think I would want to stick around. I did when each of my brothers and sisters were born, you know."  
  
"Yeah, but you have five of them," said Ashley. "You are used to the routine by now. This is Cassie's first sibling. I did not even have any idea her mother was *expecting* until a week ago when we were looking for the Nightstriker Warrior powers, and she was muttering about it before she went to sleep."  
  
"Then you heard about it first," said Andros. "I did not learn until about three days ago when her parents showed up in Angel Grove and I saw them for the first time."  
  
"Cassie was somewhat afraid," said Sharie shortly. "Her parents had trouble concieving, and she had been sure she would never have a brother or sister. She did not want to say anything, in case something went wrong."  
  
"Nothing did go wrong, did it?" asked Ashley, grabbing up a water bottle and taking a drink. "You were in the maternity ward that shift yesterday, Sharie. You were there when she was born."  
  
Sharie shrugged, then smiled in spite of herself. "So I did the actual delivery, yes, nothing went wrong. They named her Lydia. Real pretty baby. She comes home soon. I think TJ is giving Cassie a ride from the hospital, at least he told me. They should....wait, they are here."  
  
By now, no one bothered to ask how Sharie knew these things before anyone else--except for sometimes Ashley--knew about them. And sure enough, a moment later, there was a sharp whistle, followed by a couple of "Hey, guys!"  
  
Across the sand, laughing, came running up a tall boy in blue and a tallish girl in pink. Both were laughing, near hysterics, and were shoving each other around playfully. Sharie glanced up and sort of grinned in amusement at their playfulness, and the others sort of jogged each other in the ribs and snickered.  
  
"Sorry we're late," Cassie huffed upon reaching them, slapping away TJ's hands a final time and trying to regain some semblence of dignity. "Numbskull here forgot to put gas in his car, and then you get the picture."  
  
"If you had not been pestering me so much, I would not have--"TJ began playfully, but Cassie shoved him lightly.  
  
"Dont listen to him," she continued sweetly. "We're here, aren't we?" she told him musically.  
  
"So how's the new sister?" Carlos asked, cutting off any reply TJ might have made.  
  
"Lydia?" asked Cassie, suddenly turning a bit dreamy. "Oh, she is so cute...I just hated explaining to my parents why I could not always be on call to baby-sit. You should have seen their reactions to my telling them I was a Power Ranger. Sharie saw their reactions, too."  
  
"Was it wise telling them in the middle of your mother's labor?" asked Sharie mildly. "That may have been the reason Lydia was born so soon afterward. And when they saw *I* was not in the least fazed by the news..."  
  
Everyone was exchanging amused glances by this point.  
  
"Well, come on," said Andros, unable to hide a smile. "I want to learn that 'hurricane eye' move you promised to try and show me, Sharie."  
  
****  
  
Astronema blinked at the bright morning sun which beat down on the desert terrain of a little-known planet in the StarFire galaxy.  
  
*Why did I even bother to come?* She desperately wished for the cooler air of the Dark Fortress, which was never without air conditioning, except for the quarters of the monsters that needed hotter climates.  
  
*How I seriously *hate* these stupid meetings of Evil Powers. They are so boor-ring! Nothing really interesting has happened to me since I took care of Dark Dresden.*  
  
Around her was the usual clatter of other evil people rudely shoving each other around, a few among them being Lord Zedd, Rita Repulsa, King Mondo and company, Master Vile, and Divatox, among some other well-known and not- so-well-known villians. They were simply here for one of their usual evil gatherings for the purpose of plotting as much misery as possible for the good side.  
  
Astronema was too preoccupied with thoughts of how to destroy the Power Rangers this time to really pay attention to the activity around her, until a rather loud arguement between Lord Zedd and Rita, his wife, caught her ears.  
  
"That was hardly *my* fault, my dear," snarled Lord Zedd. "Remember, it was you idea about the Hydrohog in the first place."  
  
"Are you implying that this was *my* fault, radiator-face?" she screeched at him, trying to ignore the ache in her back.  
  
"Yes!" it was short and sharp.  
  
"Oh, you....how!..." she demanded, placing her hands upon her swollen waistline. "How do you concieve that this was *my* fault?! If I weren't carrying this kid of yours I would..."  
  
"Silence! I don't want your constant grating, whining voice to harm our upcoming little bundle of misery. Of course it was your fault! The Hydrohog almost had the sniveling Alien Power Pests by their gills, but in the end, they still beat them! He was a complete, worthless waste of time!"  
  
"Don't forget, Fence Face, *you* were just as enthusiastic about this plan as I was. I seem to recall that you...."  
  
Astronema stepped closer to them, and they stopped, aware that she had been listening. Rita gave her the evil eye.  
  
"Butt out. I do not recall this being any of your business," she snapped, placing her hands to her aching back.  
  
"I could not help but overhear, Rita dear. What is this about a Hydrohog?"  
  
"Why would *you* want to know?" the witch snarled defensively.  
  
"Ignore her," sighed Zedd. "She has been worse than her usual miserable self since she became pregnant."  
  
"As if this was all my doing! I did not want a kid in the first place, but don't forget, my *dear* husband, you were there also! The kid did not just get in here by magic!"  
  
"Shut *up* already, or I'll...." Zedd snarled, then sighed and turned back to Astronema. "Sheesh. Can't keep her mouth shut. Anyway, the Hydrohog, well, we brought him to Earth over a year ago to destroy the Aquitian Rangers who were on the planet, since Master Vile had turned back time and made the rangers children. The dumb monster almost succeeded, but failed at the last minute."  
  
"Where is he?" the Princess of Evil asked, eyes glowing with mischeif. "I think I have a plan for this Hydrohog--the new, improved Hydrohog, that is."  
  
"Hmmm....last I heard, he was laying low somewhere in this very galaxy, I believe. But don't waste your time with him. He is worthless."  
  
"I don't think he will be after I get through with him. I will make him so powerful and invincible that he will destroy those pesky power brats once and for all! Not even the Aquitian Rangers or the Zeo Duo from Triforia will be able to stop him." She laughed and evil, creepy laugh that even made Rita flinch, and the child inside her kicked ferociously.  
  
****  
  
Astronema quickly went about her business locating the Hydrohog. Rita had grudgingly given her the algarhythms specific to this monster, saying, "You are making a big mistake."  
  
It did not take her long to find him. He was hiding out on a barren planet just light-years from the Aquitian system. Blatantly ignoring his commands for her to leave his lair, she paid him an unwelcome visit.  
  
"All right, whaddya want?" He bellowed, grudgingly allowing her inside. "Can't a monster be alone, by himself, for a couple of centuries?"  
  
"Not in this case," she answered, surveying his bare existence. How could he survive here, when he was supposed to be a water-monster? "I have a job for you."  
  
"Don't want it. Still too embarrassed--not to mention sore!-- about what happened on Earth--curse those Aquitian Rangers!"  
  
"Let me put it this way," said Astronema sweetly, then she verbally pounced upon him. "Too bad. You will take this job, or I will destroy you here and now!" She pointed her spear at him threateningly.  
  
"Wh-who said I would not take the job?" Hydrohog stammered, glowering in fear, for he had heard of Astronema's prowress. "What d'ya want me to do?"  
  
"I want you to go back and, once and for all, destroy the Lightstar Rangers on Earth."  
  
"What? No way! If the Aquitian Rangers managed to defeat me--though it took them forever--then surely these "Lightstar Rangers" will be able to!"  
  
Astronema gave him a cheshire smile, and her voice became that of a bargainer. "Of course, I would not want to send you there in this condition." She ignored his bristling at her choice of words. "I plan to make a couple of improvements on you, increase your power and the like. Then defeating them will be no problem, and you will be amply rewarded. Now, do we have a deal?"  
  
He had his own bargaining chip. "Only if I can also destroy those damned Aquitian Rangers for all the misery they have caused me."  
  
"Fine. You might also consider getting rid of the Zeo Duo that bother me by showing up once in a while."  
  
"Zeo Duo?" he questioned. "Oh, you mean that weakling Trey of Triforia? Sure I will get him easy, but who is the other?"  
  
"Boy, you must have been laying low to not have heard," sighed Astornema. "The Zeo Violet Ranger, his sister, Sharie Triesta. She is very much alive. Watch out for that one, she is stubborn. I hope you know something of the weaknesses in Zeo Energy."  
  
"Oh, nothing to it! Sure, I will get her easy. Let's get started."  
  
"Fine. Come with me to the Dark Fortress so we can see what we can do."  
  
"Okey-dokey. By the way, do you have any water-worlds I could plunder? I am really thirsty."  
  
Astronema just rolled her eyes.  
  
****  
  
Trey ducked, trying to not hit his head on the ceiling of the cave as he pulled on the last of his tunic. "How did you find this place anyway, Delphine? I have never seen anything so beautiful."  
  
She was seated beside him, already fully dressed herself. Her dark eyes watched the hypinotic, colorful waves dancing on the prism-like walls, creating astonishing rainbow effects that were strangely hypnotic and, she noted with some amusement, a bit....erotic as well. "I was exploring nearly a century ago when I found a small tunnel deep in the ocean depths. I followed it up here and was immediately enchanted. I told no one but Cestria of my discovery, and I don't think she has told anyone but Billy. I think they are the only other ones to ever come to this place."  
  
"And I can see why," he admitted, finishing pulling on his clothes and sitting beside her, their feet dangling off the ledge into the water. "I did not expect to lose control like that, Delphine." He chuckled.  
  
"Neither did I," she sighed, leaning against him as his arms went around her. "No wonder Cestria and Billy started coming down here so often. This is what happened, no doubt."  
  
"Was it that bad?" he teased, and she blushed slightly even as she laughed.  
  
"Absolutely not. Gods, I never reacted like that before. Just watch out if you tell your sister about this place. She drags Carlos down here, and they will be all over each other."  
  
Trey burst out laughing so hard he nearly lost his breath. "Delphine, I don't think I have ever heard that type of humor come out of your mouth before. Besides, if we went around telling everybody about this place, we would never have any privacy. But," he stopped laughing, but his grin did not fade. "I think this place was used sometime in the distant past, and forgotten about. When we swam through the tunnel, it did not exactly look naturally made."  
  
"It is not," was her reply. "Obviously, this place was frequented by others, long ago, then forgotten about."  
  
"I wonder why," he murmured, nuzzling her neck and kissing it. "I would think this would have remained a hot spot. Look at what happend to us."  
  
Delphine shrugged and tried not to get too lost in what he did to her this time. "I don't think we should be gone for much longer. Somebody will come looking for us, I am sure."  
  
As if on cue, Delphine's communicator went off at that exact moment. She sighed and reached over to where it was still discarded. "Yes?" she said into it as she reattached it to her wrist.  
  
Billy's voice came over the comm system. "Uhh...sorry to disturb you, Delphine, but the scanners have picked up something unusual. You had better come look at this."  
  
"We are on our way." She and Trey glanced at each other, sighed, and fixed their still-dishevled clothes before teleporting way. Both were fairly certain, now, how Billy had found them. He had guessed they were here, because his voice came in on such a direct frequency. Had he not known where they were, he would have used a broader-band Aquitian freqency to contact them, and he would have sounded somewhat fainter as a result.  
  
****  
  
They materialized in one of the control centers, full of sensory devices blinking and blipping. Billy was standing over one of the consoles, his usually-calm face rather grim. Cestria was standing beside him, her dark eyes wary. The other Aquitian Rangers, Tideus, Aurico, Cestro, and Corcus, were nearby, whispering.  
  
"What is happening?" asked Delphine, coming over at once and peering over Billy's shoulder. She glanced up at him next, taking in the worried look in his blue eyes.  
  
"This." The human boy indicated the readings displayed before them. "Some of our sources have told us that a meeting of evil villians took place earlier in a nearby planet at the other end of this galaxy. Many of them were the typical evil ones we know of. That is bad enough. But these here are a set of readings I never hoped to see again." He sighed. "Some of these readings are indegenous to only one known monster--the Hydrohog."  
  
Delphine went pale with surprise and suppressed anger. "The Hydrohog! I thought we had gotten rid of that reprehensible creature once and for all."  
  
"He was laying low," answered the former blue ranger. "And that is not all. He is on the Dark Fortress, and the readings show he is getting much more powerful. The Dark Fortress is slowly but surely headed for Earth."  
  
"Then they must be warned at once," spoke up Aurico.  
  
"That is not the whole of it," said Billy grimely. "From what I can tell, Astronema is making him powerful enough to easily defeat the Lightstar Rangers, not to mention he will start in on the Earth's water supply again. Even the saltwater oceans. Earth and it's inhabitants will be dead within days of dehydration of this succeeds."  
  
Trey looked both alarmed and thoughtful. "My sister is on Earth as well, but if things are as bad as you say, then she will have a hard time getting to him, if he gets to her first." He bit his lip, worried, and wondering what could be done. He had heard plenty of the stories of the Hydrohog already. Sharie had told him that the time Master Vile had turned back time, she had been reduced to a nine-year-old temporarily, and she had seen what had gone on.  
  
Corcus, the ranger who was usually very quiet and lurked in the background, spoke up. "If this is all the case, then I suggest we all go to Earth. Maybe if all of us together try it, we can do something before Earth is doomed."  
  
Delphine raised an eyebrow at the rest of the team, who nodded assent.  
  
"Very well," she relented. "We will go to Earth as well. But I don't think we should say why until we get there. I on't want to chance a message of ours being overheard by ears who do not need to hear it."  
  
Trey agreed, but said, "However, I will give Sharie a short notice as to our arrival. They deserve that at the very least."  
  
They began preparations to leave.  
  
****  
  
Meanwhile, as the Lightstar Rangers finally finished with practice, it was getting awfully warm outside. They had just changed out of their practice clothes and had settled down to rest and talk beneath a large tree by the lake, when Sharie raised her head, clearly sensing someone driving into the drive out front.  
  
"Who is it?" asked Carlos, who by now recognized the look on her face.  
  
"Uncle Marek and Aunt Marisha. They've brought Toby and Tami," she mused. *And I wonder if Aunt Marisha is finally going to tell me what she has been hiding from me ever since she got back...*  
  
Nobody flinched, for they knew full well that Sharie's relatives knew their identities. Marisha had even helped save their lives once.  
  
A moment later, indeed, they came around the house, the twins running merrily before them. Looking at them laughing and poking each other, one would never have guessed they were deaf....except they were eerilie silent, speaking with gestures.  
  
"Heya, kiddo," said her uncle, hugging her lightly and kissing the top of her head. "Defeat any cheesy monsters lately?"  
  
"Not all week," said Sharie, grinning and turning to her Aunt, who greeted her in a similar fashion.  
  
"I guessed as much," Marisha said, amused. "Seeing you are all in one piece, anyway."  
  
"I thought you had another convention to go to," Sharie said, opening her arms to the twins, who bounded forward and hugged her, hard.  
  
"Where are the kittens?" signed Toby as soon as he was released.  
  
"Topaz and Violeta are down by the water," she answered with signs. The children ran happily to greet Sharie's cats, who greeted them back just as enthusiastically.  
  
"We ducked out, for once," said Marek nonchalantly. "Besides, we have an announcement to make, when the timing is right, I hope--ow!" He winced as Marisha nudged him in the ribs. "Oh, okay, hi kids," he said, finally noticing the others present. The group laughed, for his cheerful mood was easily infectuous.  
  
Before anything else could be said, however, Sharie's communicator intoned. Instantly, all went quiet.  
  
"Go ahead, " She said quietly into her communicator.  
  
Her brother's voice was heard, speaking in a little-used Triforian dialect, which nobody could understand. "This is Trey, Lalinka. The Aquitian Rangers and I are coming to Earth right away. I thought you should know."  
  
"The Aquitians? Why?"  
  
"I don't dare to say it here, Sharie. We will say so when we get there. Are the others with you?"  
  
"Yes, and my relatives are here, too. Go ahead and teleport to the lake behind my place. we should have some relative privacy here."  
  
"Then we will be there momentarily. Out."  
  
Sharie raised an eyebrow, concerned at her brother's abrupt good-bye. He never did that unelss something really serious was on his mind. She lowered her wrist and spoke quietly.  
  
"That was Trey," she said needlessly. "He and the Aquitian Rangers are coming to Earth immediately. They will be here soon."  
  
"Why?" asked Carlos. Andros was instantly on alert.  
  
"He would not say. We will find out when they arrive."  
  
A moment later, six flashes of color coalseced in place nearby, when the light faded, the Auqitian Rangers and Trey were in their place. Sharie quickly beckoned them over.  
  
"Now would you mind telling me what is going on?" she asked her brother, folding her arms and giving him an "i'm waiting" glance.  
  
"It's a long story," he began quietly. "But from what is known, Earth could be in grave danger."  
  
"How so?" asked Andros, immediately alert.  
  
Quickly, they related what had happened.  
  
"Oh, no, not the Hydrohog *again*!" groaned Sharie. "I thought he had gotten rid of."  
  
"That is something along the lines of what I said," said Delphine, her mouth grim.  
  
"Do you know how soon he will be here?" asked TJ, rubbing his dark chin thoughtfully.  
  
Tideus shrugged. "In as little as a couple of hours." Left unspoken was the implication that they faced the problem of rehydration until then. Sharie fixed that problem as soon as she saw his look.  
  
"See the lake behind us? The water comes from an unusual underground volcanic source, so it does not run dry and it is well within your requirements for purity. You are free to use it as often as you need to while you are here. Besides that, it is out of public view."  
  
Delphine flashed her a grateful smile. "Thank you so much, I was wondering about that. I am glad to not to have to worry about it."  
  
"Finding a place to rehydrate is a problem?" asked Marisha thoughtfully. Delphine nodded. "Has anyone worked to solve that problem?"  
  
"Never successfully as yet," said Delphine. "Billy came close once, but it crashed."  
  
Marisha did not let the matter rest. "The lake would be fine in ordinary circumstances, but what of an emergency?" she said. "It cannot be very easy if you are not conscious."  
  
"That is true," said Delphine. "It has nearly cost us our lives numerous times because of this."  
  
Sharie knew what was on her aunt's mind. Since her neice was a frequent intergalactic traveler, she had a unique way of accessing information on the physiology of aliens, and she was wondering if it was possible to actually build such a device as an emergency rehydrator.  
  
"We can work on it later, if you want," she answered her aunt's unspoken question. "You may have a point." Marisha nodded in agreement and fell silent.  
  
Sharie brushed the damp tendrils of hair from her forehead. Her bangs were wet, and the skin of her body was glistening from the warmth as everyone began to realize just how hot it was becoming. She pulled a purple scrunchie from her wrist and tugged her hair into a ponytail on top of her head. Ashley and Cassie saw her and quickly imitated the action. This left out the boys, for while TJ had no hair and thus did not care, Carlos and TJ had longish, heavy hair on their heads. Both boys only had the habit of pulling the top half of their hair off their faces, so they had to suffer.  
  
Sharie finished fixing her hair, which seemed to do her little good, she mused. While the thick curly gold mass was now off her face and ears, it still hung thickly more than halfway down her back, very uncomfortable in the heat. Sighing, she stood up. "Ice water, anyone?" she asked.  
  
"Please," chorused all the thirsty humans and Trey. Sharie smiled to herself and went to a nearby "villa" or "summer cottage" that existed on her property, though she kept it unused except for this purpose. She returned a moment later bearing a tray with several glasses in one hand and lugging a pitcher with more of the liquid in the other. While she had been gone, the Aquitians, also distinctly uncomfortable, had already slipped away and rehydrated.  
  
She noted with a mixture of concern and amusement that some of her friends, particularly TJ, were gulping the water rather greedily.  
  
"Goodness, Teej," she remarked, grinning, though her eyes were concerned. "When was the last time you drank anything?"  
  
"Not since yesterday morning," he answered sheepily.  
  
She looked at him reprovingly. "I'm tempted to ask the same of the rest of you," she said, only mildly amused, "But I doubt if I would get a straight answer. *All* of you know that it is the hottest part of summer right now."  
  
"Yes, Sharie," said Carlos, a bit mockingly. She turned and gave him a Look, but it did not last when he grinned mischeviously and kissed her.  
  
She was blushing a bright red when he released her, and her eyes were a bit over-bright. He was grinning amidst the knowing looks and giggles of their friends.  
  
"You," she whispered, "Are a little *too* distracting, Perez." She kissed him again quickly. "Later," she whispered, before pulling away and trying to hide her red face.  
  
"Aunt Marisha?" she said, trying to draw attention from herself. "What was it you had wanted to tell me? Or is this private?"  
  
Her aunt also blushed slightly, and looked at her husband.  
  
"What does it really matter?" he asked. "The twins also need to know, let's tell them."  
  
Marisha swallowed and looked her niece in the eye. "Well, Sharie, I did not want to say anything until I was absolutely certain, but...." she fidgeted, and glanced downward at herself, then raised her golden eyes back to Sharie's.  
  
Another brilliant red flush crossed Sharie's face, and her eyes also inadvertently traveled downward, then back upward to lock with Marisha's again.  
  
"Is it true, then?" she said in a low voice. "You managed to...without medical intervention?"  
  
Marisha's eyes became misty, and she nodded. "It is true. And it is a miracle that I thought could never be repeated after the twins, but I am going to have a baby, Sharie."  
  
She was watching her niece closely, trying to gauge her reaction. Sharie's hand covered her mouth for a moment, then she removed it and smiled. "I am so, so happy for you," she whispered. She reached out and hugged her aunt, hard.  
  
"Thank you, dear," said Marisha, hugging her back. "That makes us very happy to hear that."  
  
"How far along are you?" asked Sharie, when her aunt released her. She was mildly surprised to see her aunt lower her eyes, seemingly embarrassed.  
  
"Well--" she said. "I hate to admit this, but I am nearly four months along by now. I lived in denial the first few months, child, because I was certain it was only my imagination--and I am a doctor myself! I finally found out for certain a month ago, then I stayed quiet so I could be sure I would not miscarry. But now it is getting too hard to hide this, my clothes are getting tight. But I am also certain the baby is out of danger."  
  
Sharie nodded slowly, tempted to ask why Marisha had not come to her sooner if she was that afraid for the baby but wisely deciding not to press the issue. She cocked a head toward the nearby twins, still playing with the kittens. Her own brother was out of earshot and had not heard, either. "Toby and Tami do not know?"  
  
"Not yet. But I think they have been wondering at the secrecy lately."  
  
"I wondered that, too," said Sharie dryly. She sent a quick mental message to Trey. *Trey, could you bring the twins over here, please?*  
  
A moment later, he came, pulling a twin by each hand. They did not protest, but they did look concerned. Gently, Marisha broke the news to them, and Sharie, with Trey right behind her, gauged their reaction. They looked shocked at first, then Tami signed one question.  
  
"After the baby is born, can I baby-sit?"  
  
"I'll help her," volunteered Toby immediately. Marisha grinned in relief and hugged her children tightly.  
  
Sharie smiled, glad to see such a positive reaction. She leaned back against her brother, and for a few minutes, despite the danger hurling at them from across space, everything was right in the universe.  
  
****  
  
"Have you done tests?" Sharie asked a moment later. "Do you know if it is a boy or girl, and the deafness factor?"  
  
"Actually, yes," said Marisha. "I am carrying a girl, and I am happy to say this baby, if nothing goes wrong, will be able to hear."  
  
Any further conversation was interrupted when Sharie sensed someone else pull up. To everyone's surprise, it was Ashley who spoke first.  
  
"It is Johnathan!" she cried happily. She suddenly blushed and looked at the Aquitians. "He is my brother. And don't worry, he knows."  
  
Delphine only nodded as Sharie disappeared into the house to answer the doorbell that would undoubtedly ring. She did not exactly wonder at how Ashley had known, because Johnathan was her twin. Did not most twins know these things? Toby and Tami seemed to...  
  
She returned a minute later with a handsome boy behind her, with short brown hair and brown eyes like Ashley's, and the faces were undoubtedly similar.  
  
Ashley ran up eagerly to greet him. "Johnathan Andrew Hammond, how on Earth did you know I was here?" she asked teasingly. "I thought you were working on your marine biology project."  
  
"I finished it already. Was not that tough. And Mom told me where you would be this morning. I was surprised you told her, we had gotten used to you disappearing at all hours of the day and night." He caught sight of the Aquitian Rangers. "You been busy?" he asked without a hitch.  
  
She nodded. "Long story, tell you later. Why were you looking for me, though?"  
  
"It is private." He pulled her to one side and quickly whispered into her ear. Her brown eyes widened, and she almost frantically whispered an answer.  
  
He spoke aloud. "All right, that is all I wanted to know. I've gotta run, okay, Ash?" He hugged her quickly, making it plain how close they were. "Please be careful, all right? Try to stay in one piece, for my sake at least. Mom and I may have gotten used to the idea of you gallavanting around the universe, we don't have to enjoy all the risks to your neck you take."  
  
She looked a bit sad as she hugged him again, harder. "We accept what we must, John-john." for once, he did not even blanch at her nickname for him. "I will try to be careful, but there are no garauntees where I work at."  
  
"I expect that is all I can ask. I just don't want my twin sister to perish right before my eyes, not like..." he stopped, clamping his mouth shut and swallowing. "Anyway, Ash, you keep your head above water and trouble, hear? Love ya, gotta go!" he gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and hurried off.  
  
Ashley sighed as she returned to her friends. She slumped to the ground beneath the tree, her expression morose. "He is too worried about me," she mumbled to no one in particular. She did not elaborate, and nobody really asked. Everyone but the Aquitians knew, and nobody cared to rip open the girl's still-fresh wounds from the Emotional Wrangler that had hit her nearly six weeks before.  
  
Marek glanced at his watch. "Sharie, dear, it is time for us to leave," he said, a bit aplogetically. "We do have some things to attend to." He blasted a sharp whistle, one of the few sounds that either twin could actually hear. They glanced up, and at his "let's go" signal, they came reluctantly running. Sharie's kittens ran behind them, meowing unhappily at having their friends leave. She made a signal to them, and they turned and leaped upon her shoulders, snuggling down and nuzzling her neck for comfort. She waved good-bye to her relatives and returned the discussion back to the Hydrohog.  
  
****  
  
****  
  
This time, discussion fell to how to defend themselves from the Hydrohog this time around.  
  
"What about Earth's water supply?" asked TJ. "If the Hydrohog is as cruel as you say, he will probably go for the freshwater supply first--he must know that we cannot live on saltwater from the oceans."  
  
"The water from my lake, because of it's source, does not run dry," said Sharie. "Nor does it ever flood. It is safe for drinking by humans or for use by Aquitians. The last time Hydrohog was here, he did not detect the body of water because of the Zeo presence from my powers prevented him from sensing it. That is why Zordon did not, either."  
  
"Your point being...?" prodded Carlos.  
  
"My point being is that I am going to set a special forcefield over the lake that, hopefully, will deny the Hydrohog access to it, while letting the Aquitians, and whomever else needs to, have access to it. I will program the field to reject anything evil."  
  
"Can you construct such a device?" asked Tideus.  
  
"I already have them. They guard a couple of my Zords. Remember, Zordon used similar devices around the Command Center. It would only take a few minutes to rig one up to suit my purpose."  
  
"I hope it works," remarked Andros.  
  
"I hope so too, but it should. Another question is if the Hydrohog gets ahold of one of his victims."  
  
"What happens?" asked Trey, concerned. Delphine had only said it had a "deadly effect" on her and the others.  
  
"With a touch, he can easily strip a great deal of water from an Aquitian's body," Sharie answered seriously. "It nearly killed the whole team the last time it happened. I was hidden when I watched it, and I ran to make sure Uncle Marek at the hospital would make emergency water avalible to the child-rangers, should they ask. And they did. I was struggling to loosen the Hydrohog's grip on the cumulus clouds, so Billy's device would make it rain."  
  
"Is that why it rained?" asked Delphine.  
  
"Not exactly. I had never encountered any monster like the Hydrohog before. So my attemps mostly only served to temporarily slow his water- sapping rate and loosen his hold on hte clouds enough for Billy's beam to work. Had it not happened, it would not have rained--but all the credit goes to Billy. At least he managed to do it. Basically, the warning is watch out for his touch. This time, he might try it on a human, and I don't know what exactly would happen."  
  
A hot wind was blowing her ponytail into her face. Impatienly, she tossed her hair. "I think we should do what needs to be done. Delphine, do you have your battlezords ready?"  
  
"Yes, but they have never been able to defeat the Hydrohog. We only defeated him last time with the ShogunZords Zordon lent us for our use while on this planet."  
  
Sharie frowned. "I believe the ShogunZords were put out of commission the first time the Power Chamber was destroyed. It would take far too long to get them up and working again, for Zordon is no longer able to do so. I would have to rewire them so the can directly work from the Morphin Grid. We don't have the time."  
  
Carlos spoke up. "Querida, what about all those Zords you have under your thumb? I have seen a few, they have awesome Power. I even ran the Hurricane-Mountain Lion Thunderzord for you that time. Surely you have a couple that could work."  
  
She frowned. "I expect so, but few would be appropriate for battling such a creature as the Hydrohog. Some do not react well to water, others are not strong *enough*, believe it or not, or they are much too strong for use on a planetary surface."  
  
Suddenly, a brilliant flash filled the sky above them, remeniscent of a teleporter beam. Something fell out of the sky and landed with a *splash*, right in the lake, near the shore.  
  
"What was *that*?" gasped TJ.  
  
"I don't know, but I am going to find out," she said quietly. "Stay here."  
  
"Be careful, Querida," warned Carlos.  
  
Sharie quickly kicked off her sandals and crossed the berach to the shore of the lake. Ashley, concerned, slipped up behind her, just in case. Sharie knew she was there but only made a "stay back" gesture behind her back when she reached the shore.  
  
Lightly, she stepped in, her small feet scarcely making a dent in the sand. When the water was knee-deep, she came to the object, approaching cautiously. She could see what appeared to be a bottle or container of some kind, with something else attached to it. Carefully, she picked it up. Nothing happened, so she slowly drew it out of the water and waded ashore.  
  
"What is it?" asked Ashley, who had not moved.  
  
Sharie pulled the waterproof envelope attached to the bottle. "I don't know, but look at this."  
  
The label was in a strange language. "What does it say?" asked Carlos as everyone crowded around.  
  
"It is my name," she answered, opening it. A flat recording device fell into her hand.  
  
"Stand back," she said as she activated it, setting it on the ground.  
  
A holograph of a young-looking man began to speak in one of the hard-to- understand intergalactic dialects only Sharie, Trey, Delphine, and Cestro could understand with any comprehension.  
  
"Sharie Triesta, my friend, I recently infiltrated a confrence of an evil group of aliens near Aquitar. Rita Repulsa and Lord Zedd were arguing about the Hydrohog, though Rita, I'm afraid, is very pregnant and should not have been arguing like that. Astronema overheard them and interceded, asking about this monster's wherabouts. Shortly thereafter, I learned that she was making him much more powerful than ever before. Be warned: She is bent on destroying the LIghtstar Rangers, and since rumor has it the Aquitian Rangers are with you also, they will also fall under her targeting expertise. This bottle I have sent you is very old, but be careful with it's contents. To the whole group, use it wisely. It may help you defeat the Hydrohog permanently. Sharie, I hope this helps a little in repayment for all you did to help me when I needed it. Again, thank you. Your grateful friend, Ryches Ma'Jnak ChaaSinTa.  
  
"Ryches!" exclaimed Delphine. "Sharie, you are friends with this villian? But he is evil, though no one has heard from him recently."  
  
"He is evil no longer, and never was by choice," she answered evenly. "Seven years ago, I released the hold of an evil spell that was controlling that man. Turns out he is an alien price from a distant world. He left to try and atone for his actions. I have not heard from him since then, either, until now. It seems he never forgot me, either." She shrugged, picking up the artifact. "Let's see what this is, exactly."  
  
She examined it closely, straining to make out the faded symbols on the sides. "Delphine, these look like your old symbolic language writings. They are faint, but..." She did not finish her sentence as Delphine edged closer for a better look. "It is, but it is too faint to read clearly. May I suggest you open it, Sharie, and see what is inside, and if it is useful as Ryches says?"  
  
The girl nodded, carefully examining the latch. Delicately manipulating it with her slim fingers, she was able to carefully open it, and it gave with a squeaking groan. Out fell a parchement, sliding onto her palm. It appeared to be of sturdy material, but old nonetheless.  
  
"Let's go into the nearby villa," she said suddenly. "There is room for all of us, but I do not care to expose this parchment too much to the elements."  
  
When they had gathered inside, she reached up and turned on an overhead light, which was very bright. As the otehrs gathered round, she carefully opened the parchment, spreading it flat upon the table.  
  
It was a map--of the Earth, but in the same old-style symbolic writing of Aquitar. Still, it could be read by those trained to do it.  
  
Swallowing her surprise, Sharie asked, "Cestro, did your people ever visit the earth about a thousand years ago?"  
  
He looked confused. "Why, no, not that I ever heard of. None of us ever visited your planet until Master Vile turned back Earth's time."  
  
"Obviously, they did."  
  
"How is this possible? We have no record of...wait. This parchement is one thousand years old?"  
  
Sharie nodded. Cestro frowned as he thought.  
  
"I seem to recall that during that time, the parts of space containing our galaxy and yours, among oters, was suffering from an attempted overrun by evil. In case our people were forced to escape Aquitar, several teams were sent out in powerful ships capeable of pulling together to form colossal assault Zords. Seperate, they were smaller fighting machines, ships to live on. These were necessary to defend themselves in unknown territory. Anyway, these teams went out to find worlds that were relatively empty and capeable of supporting our people, should we be forced to leave. I recall that a few of the teams simply disappeared and were never heard from again. It would seem that one of those teams headed over into this direction, and reached the Milky Way Galaxy."  
  
"Obviously, at one point, they came to Earth and stayed," said Sharie. "This map, in part, indicates there they left their fighting machines on this world. They wrote on part of the other side--by this point, they had been here for three years."  
  
"How could they have survived so long on this planet?" asked Aurico. "We were not here long, and we still became ill quite often--Earth's atmosphere is harsh to us. More importantly--if they stayed here, why did they never return and how did this artifact end up in Ryches's hands?"  
  
Sharie bit her lip. "I do not know how this artifact made it back into space. But they probably did what I did when I first came to this world-- force themselves to adapt, any way possible. I did, and I am quite healthy. It is likely they did the same."  
  
"Where are the fighting machines supposed to be at?" asked Carlos, unable to read what was written so long ago.  
  
"Let me see...here," She pointed. "Off the coast of the pacific--nearby in fact, but deep down." She looked thoughtful. "If the Zords are still intact, then they would be perfect for helping us defeat the Hydrohog."  
  
"Then we could get the Megazord to do some hauling," said Andros. "And we just got the new Voyager Zords from Jupiter last week. Let's get started!"  
  
****  
  
It took about an hour, but the Megazord did it's job swiftly, locating and teleporting to an unused plain three enormous Zords, in perfect shape. They did not even have to be drained of water. The systems, once activated, worked well.  
  
But it was hauntingly empty. All that was found were diaries explaining that the occupants had discovered how they could stay alive on Earth and had gone to live with the primitive inhabitants of a nearby tribe in the Americas.  
  
Delphine looked a bit sad. "And without the water from Eternal Falls, they would have aged and died within two hundred years," she said. "But if they interbred with your humans, they might have descendents still living around here somewhere."  
  
"Let me see that map again," said Sharie suddenly, pulling another rough sketch out of the diary. She was suddenly very pale, and her eyes were glittering with the light of possible discovery. "Did they say...the tribe of the WaterWalkers? Oh, my...this cannot be real!"  
  
"What are you talking about?" asked Cassie, who stared, uncomprehendingly, at the diaries.  
  
"Uncle Marek, that's what! I believe....he told me, more than once, that long ago, some people from a distant world, dependent on water, came to live with his tribe. They had nowhere to turn, but since they could do so many magical things, they were welcomed and allowed to stay. They married within the tribe, had children who could do strange, wonderful things. It gave them and advantage in battle, in hunting, in fishing. Mental powers, water prowress. And many of their descendends were also highly sensetive to dehydration. Gods, Uncle Marek is that way, I have seen him! And the Twins have extraordinary mental abilities...." She shook her head. "Wait until I tell him this."  
  
****  
  
The Dark Fortress, they knew, had settled into orbit around Earth, but nothing was happening as yet. They had the new Zords up and running. Marisha had come, and with Sharie's and Delphine's help, had managed to build a very good Emergency Rehydrator, for use when an unconscious aquitian could not stand up. Basically, it filled with water at a verbal command.  
  
That evening, Sharie was talking to Billy. She had liked him when she visited Aquitar, and they had become good friends. They corresponded regularly.  
  
This time, though, she was surprised to see Cestria with him. Both Billy and Cestria were glowing with some happy secret. After exchanging general information, they told her. Sharie grinned with the shared secret.  
  
"Congratulations. Do you want me to tell the others, or do you want to tell them yourselves?"  
  
"Go ahead," said Billy sheepishly. "You can tell them. Cestria and I have a few things to take care of here."  
  
Sharie suspected she was grinning a bit foolishly as she shut off the comm system. The others arrived just then, so they did not know why her eyes sparkled so over a happy-looking face.  
  
"So what's your secret?" teased her brother. "You going to tell me?"  
  
"Maybe," she teased back. "It has to do with Billy and Cestria. They were just on the Comm system seeing how everything was going."  
  
"Anything else?" he caught her from behind and hugged her, while she bent over his arms, giggling.  
  
"Maybe."  
  
He caught her ribs, tickling her, and she howled a protest. "Trey!"  
  
"Well? You going to tell me yet?"  
  
"Why should I?" she squirmed, trying to avoid his fingers, her giggles making her ponytail fall into her face. "You don't respect me enough..."  
  
"No, guess not..." he yelped as she caught him and tickled him back in one of his few ticklish spots, just below his left ribcage. Since he knew how merciless she could be, he backed down. "Ah! Okay, you win, Lalinka!"  
  
Delphine had been quite unable to hide her amusement as she watched the brother and sister's playful antics. They were also not unaware of the others, gathering around and exchanging snickers.  
  
"Really," said Trey at last. "Unless it is such a grand secret, Lalinka, what's up?"  
  
"Billy and Cestria," she said, grinning. "They just told me. They are going to have a baby!"  
  
Especially the Auqitians exchanged glances, and Aurico smirked. "No wonder they declined to come. They've been married less than a month."  
  
Sharie decided not to tell them yet that Cestria was slightly *over* a month pregnant. They did not need to know everything.  
  
"So she's due...when?" asked Cassie with interest.  
  
Delphine thought a moment. "That would depend on how far along she is, but the typical pregnancy for us is six months."  
  
She had never seen so many shocked looks.  
  
"...*Six*?" squeaked Cassie. "Gods, you guys are lucky. My mother carried my sister for *nine* months!"  
  
"Aunt Marisha is nearly four months," Sharie offered slyly.  
  
"I would never have guessed it from her size," remarked Delphine. "But...nine?" she added silently, *boy, do I feel pity for you...*  
  
Sharie wondered if she should mention that it was even shorter for Triforians. Five months was all that was needed.  
  
****  
  
"They came from Aquitar, hmmm?" asked Marek later that afternoon, when he stopped by. "Well, I don't know quite what to say to that...except it matches the stories my ancestors told. And also why some of us have such unusual abilities...like my sensetivity to water, and the twins' unusual telepathic ablitiy." He shrugged. "Remind me, though, to have you run a genetic test to be completely certain--after, of course, the danger has passed."  
  
"Right, Uncle Marek," Sharie said with an amused grin. She had known that her relatives would be so used to aliens by now that this news would not really frazzle them for long.  
  
**** "Are you done yet?" whined Hydrohog. "You've shot me so full of that suff I could explode."  
  
"Quiet!" snapped Astronema. "We are nearing completion. You will attack tonight."  
  
"But--"  
  
"No buts! I have interesting news for you. Not only are the Lightstar Rangers on Earth, so is the Zeo Duo and the Aquitian Rangers--you can take them all out at once, can you not? They must have known we were coming."  
  
"Goody. Then I can get rid of them all that way, indeed! They will be unable to stop me now--bwahahaha!!!"  
  
"Don't jump into the pool with that attitude, Hydro-nut, or you just may drown. Remember what I told you? A couple of the more powerful ones could pack you a wallop. Watch your back."  
  
"Okay, okay. Now, I want some more water before I finish off those fish pests and their friends."  
  
Astronema's face reflected the second thoughts she was already having about this mission.  
  
****  
  
"He is coming," whispered Ashley. "I can feel it to my toes. And great danger, as well--my intuition is just screaming the word."  
  
She did not care how much she was revealing of her abilities. She just *knew* something terribly wrong was going to happen.  
  
"Me, too," said Sharie, shifting uncomfortably from foot to foot. "I have the forcefield up around my lake, just in case. Water will be there in case it is needed."  
  
They did not have long to wait. A minute later, wailing sirens warned of impending danger. Andros brought up an image on the viewscreen, and although nobody really cared to see it, there was the Hydrohog, terrorizing some kids at the Angel Grove Northeast Lake.  
  
"HAAA HAAAA!" he was bellowing. "So much water--and all mine, this time! What shall I take out first--ocean water, river water, or lake water? Hmm, decisions, decisions."  
  
"I say we take out this hydro-creep before he inflicts too much damage," said Carlos as he watched, concerned.  
  
"Right, let's not waste any more time. Let's Rocket!" Andros, followed by his team, flipped open their morphers and activated the "3,3,5 morph" sequence. They momentarily closed their eyes as energy from the Morphin grid flooded their morphers, and in turn, their bodies, lending them the necessary strength needed to take on their foes.  
  
"It's Morphin Time!" The Aquitians and the Triforians heralded their own timeless call, crossing their wrists and letting the Power flood through them, along with the valuable protection it offered.  
  
In twelve flashes of light, they vanished, teleporting to the lake, which was by now empty of the scattering civilians.  
  
He saw them come. "Well, well, well. If it isn't the power brats! Guess what, I'm baaaack! And this time, you can't stop me! Earth's water supply is *mine*, and will stay mine, understand?"  
  
"Not if we can help it," said Cassie, hoping she was not speaking too soon.  
  
"You can't, sorry," he remarked, as a whole load of Astronema's goons appeared around them. "Say goodnight, Gracie."  
  
Within seconds, they were neck-deep in monsters, so many it was quickly proving hard to beat them off.  
  
One of them launched himself at Sharie, running right into her, crashing her into the sand. She lay still for a moment, until he paused over her-- then responded with an expertly-placed kick right where he could not afford to be hit, and his soprano yelp proved it. She jumped up and cuffed him, knocking him away from her. He rolled away, groaning, covering his most sensetive area and whining in agony.  
  
Two more hurled themselves at TJ. "Astro-axe!" he called, summoning his main weapon. When he swung it, it struck his enemies, causing sparks to fly as they landed with a sickening "thud."  
  
"Looks like you 'axed' for that one," the blue ranger quipped.  
  
Carlos beat off another with a tornado kick to the face, followed by a side kick to it's midsection.  
  
"Boy, you should really try Maalox, it works wonders," he observed as the goon lay on the ground, clutching its stomach in pain.  
  
Another burly goon was cornering Corcus and Trey, quipping, "Now, now, let's just cut this out, shall we?"  
  
So saying, the monster launched several whirling blades at them, which exploded upon impact, sending the two hapless rangers to the ground. Sharie, furious at this indignity to her brother and friend, took a flying leap, knocking him in the head before landing between him and the stunned Trey and Corcus.  
  
"You'll pay for that, you violet menace," the monster snarled, drawing a sword out of nowhere and lunging for her.  
  
"Zeo Power Blade!" she called, her violet power staff transforming into a sword of notable strength. The duel was on.  
  
Swords clashing, the monster tried in vain to kill Sharie as she slowly manuvered him away from where Trey and Corcus were trying to struggle to their feet, still stunned.  
  
"Hold still, you little devil!" He snarled, stabbing at her. "Let me put you out of your misery!"  
  
"I feel fine, thank you. I have no need of your services." She knocked him upside the head, causing sparks to fly. He swore some very interesting words before swinging at her wildly. She ducked and crawled between his legs.  
  
He was caught by surprise by the move, just long enough for her to get up and kick him in the back, sending him sprawling on his face and earning him a mouthful of sand. As he sputtered, she drew her Zeo Laser Pistol and blasted him into oblivion.  
  
Just as the rangers were getting the upper hand of things, Delphine, Ashley, and a couple of the others took to attacking the Hydrohog, who had already dried up the lake. He kept flitting here and there, confusing them. FInally, Delphine missed a blow and he grabbed her arm and twisted it painfully behind her back, holding her immoble.  
  
"Now, my little fish freak!" he sneered, "I am going to do what I did last time--and this time, make sure of the job!" He clamped his hand on her shoulder and started to drain the water from her body with a force much faster and deadlier than the last time he had done this. She did not even have time to scream as she quickly went limp.  
  
Ashley's brain was screaming, "Danger! Save her!" Heedless of the danger to herself, and not pausing to think, only knowing that she had to save Delpine before it was too late, she launched herself at the fat alien, knocking Delphine out of his grip. The white ranger slumped, unmoving and uncomprehending, to the ground.  
  
He grabbed her angrily. "All right, Miss Yellow, if you want the same that badly, you can have it!" He clamped down on her shoulder, and started to initiate the same process, causing Ashley to shriek in pain.  
  
But something went wrong. He yelled also as he realized this was not right. It burned, it burned like fire! It seared his senses worse than anything he could ever before recall.  
  
"AAAHHH!! What is happening?! What did you do! I feel like I am on fire!" He dropped Ashley, now also limp, to the ground, where she lay unmoving. He was obviously not well, either.  
  
"I will be back!" he snarled. "You'll see! Just you wait!" Grumbling in pain, he vanished, along with each and every other monster that had come wtih him.  
  
Extremely worried about their friends, everyone demorphed and ran over to the fallen rangers.  
  
Ashley and Delphine were already demorphed, having done so as soon as the Hydrohog had released them.  
  
Sharie reached them first, silently cursing herself for not having seen this coming. She motioned the others back with one hand as she quickly felt their wrists with her other hand, feeling for pulses.  
  
"They're alive," she said through gritted teeth. "But just barely--they are deathly ill and need emergency care. I need to get them to the Megaship, now! And the Emergency Rehydrator is there also." She effortlessly lifted the taller Ashley into her arms as Trey lifted Delphine into his. She saw the haunting worry in his eyes and knew he was reliving scenes he did not care to remember. Ashley was a deadly pale color, and Sharie could hear her beginning to wheeze. They teleported at once.  
  
They rematerialized in the Medical Bay.  
  
****  
  
"DECA!" Sharie ordered flatly. "Activate the emergency rehydrator!" DECA wisely did not argue at the commanding tone of Sharie's voice as Trey placed the limp aquitian on the correct table. The sides of the new device came up and immediately filled with water to the correct depth.  
  
Even unconscious, by instinct, Delphine immediately began the rehydrating process, which brought her halfway conscious. But something was not right, it could be seen right off. The effort seemed weak, and it brought gasps of pain to her lips even as she opened her eyes. She literally felt as though her body were on fire.  
  
"What is happening?" she gasped weakly, tears of pain in her dark eyes and her lips trembling with the effort. "It should not feel like this..."  
  
Trey, feeling utterly helpless as the woman he loved struggled for life, clutched her feverish hand tightly and tried his level best to mask the worry in his eyes. "Shh. Just do your best, Delphine. I love you, and I will be here."  
  
Sharie watched, her concern growing, as Delphine's vital signs fluctuated wildly out of control. Something more was wrong here than met the eye...very wrong. Her sense of foreboding grew. She had placed Ashley on a biobed and hooked her up to monitors, but there was little else until she knew what was happening here. She hooked her up to an intravenous line, but her breath was coming in ragged gasps and her pallor was the stony grey of impending death. Sharie felt chills run up her spine...this was not good.  
  
Finally, through painful effort, Delphine managed to rehydrate to the point to where she was immediately out of danger. With a sigh, Trey shut off the rehydrator and lifted Delphine out of it, through a forcefield that immediately dried her. He transferred her to a bed next to Ashley's, laying the tired aquitian on it carefully. Delphine was so tired she could barely move, and her color was not far from Ashley's.  
  
Trey caught his sister by the arm and pulled her aside. "Sharie, that was very unusual...do you know what happened?" he asked ferverently.  
  
She pulled her arm away, not quite sure how to phrase a reply. "I'm not sure," she said at last as she set up more scanners. "I don't think they Hydrohog intended for this to happen, however." She saw his questioning glance, but before she could elaborate, Ashley began to wheeze loudly and pull really hard for air, a bluish cast coming over her face. The alarms she was hooked to started to go off...really, really loudly.  
  
Trey had never seen his sister move so fast. "What is happening?" he asked as she had to forcibly shoo Andros from the girl's side so she could read the scanners.  
  
"Bronchiospasm, similar to a severe asthma attack," she said, trying to keep her cool. "DECA, replicate me some albuterol, quickly!" Again, the computer obeyed without complaint, and the necessary medication promptly appeared in the dispenser. Sharie snatched it up and quickly ran back to the biobed, snatching a respirator mask and tube off the wall. She quickly slipped the medication into the proper wall compartment and held the mask to her friend's face.  
  
"C'mon, Ash, breathe deeply," a few heard her mutter. Somehow, Ashley seemed to understand, for she made more effort, and the medication began to quickly work, opening her airways and letting more oxygen into her lungs. The teen relaxed and her breathing grew easier. She became still and quiet once more.  
  
Sharie sighed, pale, as she bent over the scanners again and allowed Andros back near his girlfriend. She had not expected a reaction like that, and it caused her to suspect that Ashley had had trouble with asthma in the past.  
  
She felt utterly helpless as she prepared medication to try and lower the fevers of those affected, wondering desperately what was causing such a strange reaction in them. Could Astronema have done something wrong while giving the Hydrohog so much power?  
  
Another, more unlikely possiblity was that human physiology and that of the Hydrohog did not mix, but this was less likely because Delphine, to a lesser extent, had also been affected, her body showing similar signs of rebellion. Maybe it was a little of *both*, Sharie mused irritably, she just did not know!  
  
It was not until she had checked over her basic readings thoroughly that she formed a very loose, partial hypothesis.  
  
"Poison," she half whispered to herself.  
  
"What did you say?" asked Andros, who would still not leave Ashley's side, though most everyone else had gone to do more upgrades on the Zords. "Poison? How?"  
  
Trey, who had been mulling by Delphine's side, looked up also. "What do you mean, poison?" he asked, his voice taking a deadly tone.  
  
Sharie inwardly flinched, though she knew the comment was not directed at her. "I am not exactly certain. I cannot find any evidence of any known substance, but the physical signs are there."  
  
"How did it happen?" asked Andros, face ashen.  
  
"I have little idea, really. My guess is Astronema had something to do with it--but I doubt if it was done on purpose."  
  
"What do you mean?" asked Delphine weakly. "I felt nothing different from the last time he did that to me, until..."  
  
"My *loose* hypothesis is that something happened to the Hydrohog's physiology when Astronema made him so powerful. She heightened his ability to sap water from other's bodies, for example, so he could do it to any aquitian in a swift, deadly manner. She probably did not think of the side effects should the person survive the attack. And she did not think about how it would affect a human. Delphine--" Sharie wondered if she should say anything. "Ashley kicked the Hydrohog away from you. She saved your life, but she was affected differently, I believe, because her physiology is somewhat different from yours. My guess is that contact between them caused a chemical reaction that was poisonous to both. Had the Hydrohog not had his abilities enhanced, he still would have had a much harder time drawing the water from a human body than an aquitian."  
  
"Then why did it affect Delphine also?" asked Trey tightly.  
  
Sharie again flinched at his tone. She knew her brother was barely controlling his anger. She sent a wave of reproving emotion flashing into his mind before she answered. "I think that when Astronema enhanced the ability, it also became somewhat changed and unstable. She either did not notice, or figured it would make no difference, because the Hydrohog intended to kill his victim. It was this instability that caused a reaction in Delphine as well, but to a slightly lesser degree. In short, again, you have both been poisoned."  
  
"How will Ashley be?" asked Delphine, inwardly knowing she would dread the answer.  
  
Sharie sighed, clearly frustrated. "Honestly, I do not know. She is severely dehydrated, her fever is higher than yours. Her lungs are in a delicate state, besides other things and systemic damage. I have an IV line in her, but the aftereffects of the Hydrohog's touch is still working, she is absorbing very little. Medications to lower either of your fevers is just not working. If it keeps up..." she did not finish her sentence.  
  
Andros had to poke her. She looked into his emotion-heady eyes, not wanting to tell him what she strongly suspected.  
  
"Tell me," he said gruffly.  
  
She swallowed. "Her prognosis is not favorable."  
  
"Fatal?" he mouthed the word.  
  
"Possibly."  
  
At that, Delphine tried to rise, struggling to sit up and not succeeding. "No! She saved my life!" A wave of dizziness and Trey's hands forced her back down, and she started a painful coughing. "There must---be something....that can be done!!"  
  
"I have tried poison neutralizers, none are working. I doubt much more can be done until I can isolate and determine what is affecting you both."  
  
Ferverently, she set out to do just that.  
  
****  
  
"Fool!" snarled Astronema in a rage. "Idiot! Buffoon! No good bag of polluted water! You are completely worthless! Why didn't you destroy them?!"  
  
"Forgive me, Princess," quivered Hydrohog. "Something happened that I did not expect when I tried to drain the Yellow Lightstar Ranger. She burned me! I became to weak to carry on. I promise, as soon as I recover, I will attack again, and succeed this time!"  
  
"Very well," sighed Astronema reluctantly. "How long will it take?"  
  
"Another day, maybe two. I don't know for certain."  
  
"Hmmph," she snorted. "Very well, then. I will give you another chance. If you fail me again, I personally will drain you dry!" The Hydrohog gulped at this.  
  
Walking away, Astronema muttered, "I believe Rita was right about that moron after all."  
  
She went about to contact them. She had more questions.  
  
****  
  
"Yes, what is it?" snarled Zedd as agonizing wails filled the background.  
  
"Astronema grinned at the small viewscreen. "I need to talk to you about the Hydrohog. My what is that racket?" she chortled.  
  
"Rita is having our little bundle of misery," he snapped. "Damn, she sounds worse than she did when she *discovered* she was pregnant."  
  
"As if this was my fault!" Rita gasped between contractions. "I did not want a kid in the first place, and I did not put it there myself. You had more than a hand in this, Zedd!"  
  
"There, there, my queen," Finster was heard to say in the background. "You must relax so the babe can be born! The more you rant and rave, the longer this will take."  
  
"Oh, who asked you!" Rita screeched in pain. "Get out of here until I want you! LEAVE!"  
  
"No, my queen."  
  
"Finster! You dare to tell me no!"  
  
"I dare this time. Zedd told me not to leave you until the child is born, and in this circumstance, I feel that his orders supercede yours."  
  
"I don't care what he says! You will leave me alone, you son of a---" Whatever it was she had intended to finish the sentence with, a sharp, tearing contraction cut her off, and she screamed in agony.  
  
With a sigh, Zedd turned back to Astronema. "What did you want to talk about, again?" he asked.  
  
She was smiling, clearly amused. "The Hydrohog. I am having a bit of trouble."  
  
"So he's proving as worthless as I said, hm?" he asked over the noise of Rita's screeches.  
  
"Somewhat, but I am taking care of him." Over the noise, she asked her questions, and he answered them as best he could, as the noise grew louder.  
  
It was cut off by Rita's sharp scream, and Finster could be heard saying, "Push, my queen."  
  
"I *am* pushing, you blue jackal!"  
  
He did not show any further sign of pity for her after that comment. "Push harder. The child is almost here."  
  
For once too much in pain to argue, she obeyed. A moment later, loud, furious screams filled the room.  
  
"You have a daughter!" called Finster over the racket. "And she sounds mighty cross, too!"  
  
"Wonderful!" said Zedd happily. "Excuse me, Astronema." he disappeared for a moment, then came back holding a tiny baby girl, startlingly beautiful with a shock of red hair and golden eyes--that special color that was neither yellow nor brown, but the same flashing gold as the shiny metal, or those of a cougar caught in a flash of sunlight. Most of her other features had a distinct Asian touch to them, the eyes almond-shaped and the jaw small and stubborn. The newborn had stopped wailing and was looking around in curiosity.  
  
"Whadya think?" he asked Astronema proudly. "Had such hair and eyes myself, before my accident with the Zeo Crystal."  
  
"She looks human," Astronema observed.  
  
"So do my people, why should my daughter be any different? Just because I look this way did not mean she would also."  
  
*But considering her family tree,* Wisely, Astronema did not say this aloud. "What about her name?"  
  
"Alyssa. After my mother."  
  
"How's Rita? I don't hear her anymore."  
  
"Out cold--let her stay that way for awhile. It is finally quiet."  
  
"I cannot blame you on that. I will cut off now. Good-bye." She thoughtfully left Zedd happily reciting evil nursury rhymes to his new protegee. She had work to do on the Hydrohog.  
  
****  
  
Back in the medical bay that night, things went from bad to worse. Delphine could barely keep herself hydrated to the point of consciousness, and her color was terrible. Her fever still raged, and Sharie knew it was only going to get worse for the Aquitian, though she did not dare voice this. It would send her brother, the way he was, over the edge.  
  
Ashley was deteriorating rapidly. Sharie had added a second IV line to her other arm, but she was still dry, her body refusing to cooperate. Her breathing had become so bad she was now permanently hooked to a respirator. Her fever was raging, and kept going higher, and Sharie did not voice her fear of impending brain damage if this kept up. At one point, Sharie had her placed in the emergency rehydrator full of cold water just to keep her fever down to the point it would not fry her brain. It was clear she did not have much longer...  
  
Through extreme effort, she had finally, also, managed to isolate the subasance that was doing this to them, but that would be of little comfort unless she could find something to stop and reverse the effect. This she was desperately trying to do, exhausting herself in the process. She became pale and looked half-out-of-it. Trey, watching her at one point, could not even recall her eating that day, but he did not suggest that she stop, because she would have been miffed at him had he tried. The way she looked, he did not dare disturb her. He simply stayed beside Delphine, helping when he could, and trying to keep his rolling emotions under control. Now he wished he had the degree of his sister's stringent self- control. At least she was remaining calm. Andros...he remained slumped by Ashley's side, focused on nothing but her. He had lost so much, and they knew that this was not another blow he needed right now. Everyone else was staying up, trying to get everything in shape, foregoing on sleep to be prepared for the next attack.  
  
Early in the morning, Sharie was busy concentrating and fighting off a headache and her own impending exhaustion, when Ashley gasped in pain, her body starting to shimmer yellow off and on.  
  
"What is happening?" asked Trey, alarmed as Andros went completely white.  
  
"Something she does not need," said Sharie unnecessarily, passing a scanner over the fallen girl. "Her body is so weak it is beginning to reject her powers. She must get rid of them now, or it will only hasten her demise."  
  
"Won't color withdrawl do that?" asked Andros softly, clutching his girlfriend's hot, fever-red hand.  
  
"In this case, it won't be as bad as the powers fluctuating and causing cardiac arrest!" said Sharie, implying that speed was of the essence. "Find somebody to take them and get them here. Somebody has to take the Yellow Ranger powers, we need every person we can get."  
  
"What about Johnathan?" asked Andros, trying to focus. "He knows our secret, and I don't think it would be too hard to convince him."  
  
Sharie nodded and hit a couple of nearby buttons. There was a flash, and there stood Ashley's twin, yawning and very surprised. He was dressed, but his hair was still tousled.  
  
He looked around, astonished. "Wha-what am I doing *here*?" he blurted in shock.  
  
Sharie stepped forward, hoping his reaction would not be to extreme, considering what had happened to his twin brother a year ago. "Johnathan...there is something we must tell you." She gently pulled him over to his sister's biobed. He went ghostly pale to see his sister lying there as if dead, except for the odd shimmering of her body.  
  
"No!" he gasped. "Oh, please, don't tell me she is..."  
  
"She's not dead, but she is very ill," Sharie spoke quickly as the boy moved to take his sister's other hand, the one Andros did not have. She outlined what had happened as swiftly as she could.  
  
"Now, her body is rejecting her powers. Johnathan, you know her secret, and you are trustworthy. I ask you to take control of Ashley's powers for the time being."  
  
His jaw dropped. "Me? I never thought I would be asked to--" He looked at his still, grey-faced sister, pain etching on his face. "All right, I will do it--for your sake, Ashley." He raised tear-filled eyes to Andros. "What must I do?" The boy in red gently removed Ashley's morpher from her wrist. He handed it to Johnathan. "Put it on."  
  
Ashley's twin obeyed.  
  
"Open it up and type in the numbers 4,6,4." Johnathan did so.  
  
"Now, hit the activator button. It will transfer the powers." Andy obeyed, and there was a flash of yellow light. He stood there then, wearing a modified form of the ranger jumpsuit, without the skirt.  
  
"How do you feel?" asked Sharie.  
  
"Fine, but a little strange--I thought yellow rangers were generally female," he sounded a bit embarassed.  
  
"Not always. Tideus is the Yellow Aquitian Ranger."  
  
The boy removed his helmet. "How long must I hold on to these powers? Especially if Ashley--" understandably, he left the words dangling in the air.  
  
"If Ash should not make it, you could keep the powers and join us, or give them to somone else that could be trusted. No one will force you into this role."  
  
He swallowed. "Count me in for as long as this takes, then." He clutched his sister's hand, demorphing as he did so. Suddenly, he paused, growing dreadfully pale. He held his sister's hand tightly as sudden tears wet his face.  
  
"What is it?" asked Andros, surprised by his reaction.  
  
"I can feel her! She is still there, in there somewhere! She tried to contact me, letting me know she knows I am here!" He saw Andros's astonished look and went on. "Well, what do you expect? We are twins. Most have telepathic bonds, only..." he blushed. "Ashley goes beyond normal twin telepathy."  
  
To everyone's surprise, Sharie spoke. "I thought so. I have often sensed some strange things out of her. I think all of us at one time or another have had her finish our sentences or something like that. This just confirms it."  
  
Sirens began to wail, making them all jump.  
  
"What is happening?" Sharie gasped, startled, the wailing siren screaming into her pounding head.  
  
"A large group of quantrons are in the main park," said DECA matter-of- factly.  
  
"Wonderful," muttered Sharie. "You guys go. I need to stay here and watch Ashley and Delphine." She saw Delphine fight the urge to get up. But she and Sharie both knew that if she tried to get up, she would end up on her face.  
  
****  
  
In the middle of the fight, Astronema appeared.  
  
"Well," she said cattily. "It looks like most of you are here. Had to see for myself how the two downed power brats were." She looked around thoughtfully. "I see Delphine is stil gone. And who are you? I doubt if you are a woman," she snickered.  
  
"I remember you. I am Ashley's twin. What do *you* care?" Johnathan snarled.  
  
"Oh, yes, I remember you, the snoop I almost killed some weeks ago. Oh, well, just wondering." She waved her hand, and she, along with the quantrons, vanished.  
  
The rangers shrugged at each other and demorphed. This time, Carlos was returning, along with Trey, Andros, and Johnathan, back to the medical bay. He wanted to see Sharie.  
  
They found her working hard over samples of possible antidotes. By now, her face was grey with exhaustion and her eyes reflected the pain of a whanging headache. Shadows were beneath her eyes, like they were with everyone else who had stayed up all night, or most of the night.  
  
"You okay, Querida?" he asked. "You look like you are about to drop yourself."  
  
"I am okay. I am trying to concentrate on these samples." She sighed and rubbed her pounding head. "I have got to find a cure for this, before Ashley--"  
  
"It is hard to concentrate with you like this, no? Treat your headache, at least," he remarked.  
  
"Maybe." She pulled wawy and started to rise. Suddenly, a dreadful feeling surged through her. Intuition and instinct spurring her on, she quickly crossed the room and grabbed a cortical stimulator just as the biomonitor flatlined.  
  
Ashley went into full cardiac arrest.  
  
Sharie quickly slipped the device onto Ashley's forehead. "DECA, now!" she ordered. Ashley's body jerked as she was being electrocuted back to life. No effect, the biomonitor line twitched once and stayed flat.  
  
"Again!"  
  
*BZZZT*  
  
Nothing.  
  
"Again!"  
  
*BZZZT*  
  
Sharie's heart nearly stopped along with Ashley's, and Johnathan looked like he was going to faint.  
  
*Beep, beep...beep...*  
  
Sharie slumped in relief, momentarily, over the biobed. She was shaking like a leaf. When she straightened, her hands flew to her face in surprise. It was wet.  
  
Impatiently, she scrubbed at her face, ignoring her momentary lapse of control. "That was close. I don't think I want to do that again. I dont' think she would be able to survive it. She is too weak to withstand any more shocks." She wiped her face again, wondering why she could not get ahold of herself. "Dammit! I should have moved faster! I could have prevented this! I have got to find that cure, and soon!"  
  
She sighed, getting ahold of herself, as she checked the readings again. "I only hope it is not too late already," she whispered.  
  
Unfortunately, Johnathan heard that. "What do you mean?"  
  
"Exactly that. Ashley's fever, and oxygen deprivation...I fear brain damage. I would have to do scans, but even that won't do everything. I want to see if her *mind* is intact." She sighed. "Johnathan, would you have any objections to my trying to contact her telepathically?"  
  
"I would rather it be you than me. I am too afraid of what I would find if I attempted it."  
  
She nodded, trying to clear her throbbing mind. Standing beside the fallen teen, she closed her eyes, focusing on easing her mind into Ashley's. At first, she felt nothing, no response. She feared the worst, that Ashley was no more than a vegetable. But as she dug deeper, she began, to her considerable relief, to sense some stirrings of self. She felt sudden emotions emanating from Ashley's mind--fear, mixed with despair.  
  
*Ash?* she sent. *Can you hear me?*  
  
Surprise registered. *Sharie? Where am I? Is that really you?* The link was weak. *Get me out of this place, please! I hate it, it is so dark, just me...* a silent mental sob sounded. *I can hear you all, sometimes, but I cannot get to you!*  
  
*You are in a type of coma, Ashley. I will try to get you out, but you are sick. I needed to find out if you were still in your own mind, though. I must leave now, Ash.*  
  
*Please keep trying, Sharie! I cannot stand this place!*  
  
*I will try.* Sharie gently eased out of Ashley's mind, opening her eyes again, to find the others staring at her.  
  
"Well?" asked Johnathan, his face a pasty color.  
  
Sharie discovered she was shaking, and she felt very cold. "Her mind is still there, intact. I had to really dig to find her, though. She is running out of time, guys." She sounded bitter.  
  
She said not another word, silently going to check their conditions. Delphine was definetly worse. She could barely keep her dark eyes open anymore. Her color was taking on the same fatal grey as Ashley's. Sharie was detecting signs of anemia.  
  
Ashley's heartbeat was slowing, and Sharie made the painful decision to place her on full-fledged life support.  
  
With a sigh, after doing so, she bent over her work again. She guessed that Ashley had no more than a few hours left, she would probably be gone by evening. Delphine was gradually weakening, Sharie though the woman had days at most. With renewed vigor, she desperately sought the cure.  
  
Everyone moved around her very carefully. Sharie could feel her own mind barriers beginning to slip as her exhaustion grew, Trey's despair, and when Johnathan was forced to leave for an appointment, she could feel his agony. Andros's desperate sense of loss. Her own headache.  
  
*I am going nuts!* She thought. Only Carlos strove to keep up a cool front, to get her throught that long, painful day.  
  
At last, Sharie raised her head, it was the middle of the afternoon, and to her horror, as she cheked the monitor, she saw that the heart rate was nearly nonexistent. Ashley was nearly gone. Her heart was in it's deathbeats.  
  
Frantically, she punched her last sample into the computer. This was it. It was this, or nothing. Carlos was there as the computer ran the test, wrapping his arms around her. For a moment, she clung tightly as time seemed to slow.  
  
Then the analyzer beeped. Sharie, with a sinking heart, turned to gance at the results. Suddenly, her eyes widened and she let out a shreik.  
  
"It is positive!" she gasped. "It is the cure! Now, I only hope we are not too late!" She shoved the sample into the synthetron as Ashley's heartbeat continued to slow. "Two doses, DECA!"  
  
A hypospray and two dosage containers appeared. Sharie did not waste a second. She jammed a dosage container into the hypo and pressed it to Ashley's arm. It hissed faintly. Sharie rapidly repeated this action on Delphine before turning back to Ashley's monitor.  
  
Her heart beat once.  
  
It went flat.  
  
Sharie stopped breathing in utter terror. No one present made a sound.  
  
Then it beat again.  
  
And again.  
  
The beats picked up, came faster, more strongly.  
  
Sharie resumed breathing with a sigh. She noted, faintly, that Delphine's signs were also beginning to stabalize.  
  
"They will both make it," she announced softly, tears of relief in her eyes.  
  
Suddenly, everyone present seemed to relax. Carlos bounded over and hugged her tightly. "You did it, Querida! You did it!" he gushed, kissing her face.  
  
"Maybe so, Carlos, but I am glad it is over." She kissed him briefly on the lips. "Goodness, I am dead-tired."  
  
"And good riddance. Go look in a mirror, Querida. Seems to me you need to crash for a couple of hours, at least."  
  
She leaned on him tiredly. "I cannot, yet. I need to keep an eye on these two for awhile, at least until Ashley awakens."  
  
"How long will it take for them to heal? And what about side-effects?" asked Andros, color slowly returning to his face.  
  
"They should be basically back to normal within hours, now. They will still be weak for a few days, but otherwise all right. The only side effects I can think of will be considerable fatigue for the next few days, also, so they will need to rest, if possible. *No* fighting unless it is absolutely necessary. They should not be surprised if the thought of eating for the next day or so makes them queasy. Other than that, they should be fine." Sharie leaned heavily on Carlos and stifled a yawn. He slipped his arms around her and supported her while leading ehr over to a chair.  
  
"Sit down, already, Sharie. Your face is whiter than Delphine's ranger uniform." This drew snickers from some of the others. "At least get rid of your headache. I can tell it hurts you so much *I* can practically feel it."  
  
She smirked tiredly. "I know," She grumped good-naturedly. "Stepping on my head with the astro-megazord would be nicer than this."  
  
"Wanna try it and see?" he asked, laughing softly.  
  
"No thanks, a rain check...a looooong one." Carlos chortled at her remark, and hugged her.  
  
Sharie downed some medication to get rid of the pounding and bent back over her work. She smiled at Johnathan's delighted expression when he was told his sister would be okay.  
  
Delphine woke up, weak, and there was no mistaking the dread on her face when Trey wordlessly lifted her up and carried her to the rehydrator again. She did not relax until she discovered that her rehydrating process was painless this time, and color replaced the grey in her face.  
  
When he lifted her back out, he set her carefully on her feet, encouraging her to stand. She stumbled for a moment, then stood. She was weak behind the knees, but she stood.  
  
"You feeling okay?" he asked gently, supporting her.  
  
"I'm fine." neither noticed Johnathan whisper to Andros, and the boy in red looking at his watch. Quietly, they both vanished.  
  
"Are you sure?" Trey asked her.  
  
"Tired, Trey, but truly, I am fine." She had an inkling why he was so upset. His arms came around her even as she looked up into his haunted eyes, full of love and pain.  
  
"I am not that easy to get rid of," she whispered. "You are stuck with me, Triesta."  
  
"I would not have it any other way." Forgetting that Sharie and Carlos were nearby, watching in amusement, he tilted her mouth up to his and kissed her, gently at first, then with a gradually increasing passion.  
  
Sharie pulled Carlos over to an unobtrusive corner of the room. She preteneded to show him readouts that were necessary to the mission, and he pretended to be interested. They both could not help but steal occasional glances, however, feeling like little children as they could not quite hide their grins, either.  
  
After what seemed at least a minute had passed, Carlos looked at them again and whispered, "Don't they ever come up for air? Do they usually stay under for that long?"  
  
"Sometimes, I've seen them. Leave them alone. They got interrupted yesterday to come here, I know it." For some reason, she blushed. Carlos raised an eyebrow at her, but did not press the issue.  
  
It took the two lovebirds a little while longer to pull apart, realizing where they were. Quick as a flash, Sharie and Carlos bent their heads over the readouts, but especially due to the amused quirks around the corners of their mouths, neither Trey nor Delphine were fazed. However, Sharie was unprepared when her brother again snuck up behind her and caught her in her ribs, tickling her again.  
  
"Trey!" she squealed, dropping the readouts as Carlos snickered. Squirming, but unable to get away because he was stronger than her, she gasped, "Is tickling me your irresistible fetish?"  
  
"No, but getting even with you is."  
  
"What for?" she squealed.  
  
"Ohhh...for spying?" he guessed, still tickling her mercilessly as Delphine and Carlos exchanged amused glances.  
  
"We were not spying...at least I wasn't!" she cried out, struggling. "Blame Carlos! He asked me if you would ever..."  
  
"Querida!" Carlos admonished. "Don't tell them our conversation, or I will tell them about what you said about them on Aquitar!"  
  
That comment stopped Trey up short, but he held onto his sister and would not let her go, although he tried not to grip her too hard. "Tattling, Lalinka?"  
  
"No!" She denied. "What I say and what Carlos probably presumed are two different things!" *And what I am saying is a total untruth!*  
  
"Oh?" he said mildly, hugging her from behind and still gripping her arms firmly. "What exactly did you *say*, sister mine? Then we can all be the judge."  
  
"Nothing of importance, Trey. Gods, you are as bad as our father was. Both of you would love to pounce on me and tickle me."  
  
"Who would fault us, Sharie? It was often the only way to get your little nose out of books or off the computer."  
  
"You usually did more than that. Stomping into my rooms, shutting off my computer, and dragging me off for a hike was something else you did a lot. Let's see, what else? Getting me interested, then obsessed, with Triforian martial arts, taking me swimming, teaching me our people's dances..."  
  
"Trey taught you to dance?" asked Carlos, amused by the thought.  
  
"Sure. That usually is the responisiblity of an older sibling, or a parent or uncle if the child is the oldest. My family was always trying to drag me from the computers for awhile. I think they were afraid I would take root in front of it."  
  
"Not exactly, Lalinka, but you are close." Carlos noted that Sharie had successfully diverted them from the subject of her mouth, but Sharie dropped it all altogether as she squirmed again. "Trey, let me go. I do have to check on Ashley."  
  
He complied this time, and while she was struggling to disentangle herself from his grip, they heard a faint moan.  
  
Ashley was waking up.  
  
****  
  
As quickly as she could, Sharie made her way over. Ashley moaned again, her brow furrowing and an IV-pierced hand lifting to her forehead. Her eyes slowly blinked open, dazed and confused. Her mouth opened a little and shut. She was too dry to talk.  
  
Sharie stood in her line of sight. "Ash, can you hear me?" she asked softly, knowing that sound could possibly be a little sensetive to her friend.  
  
Ashley gave a weak nod.  
  
Sharie felt for a pulse, it was quite strong now, though somewhat irregular. It would take time for both Ashley and Delphine to heal.  
  
"Do you know who I am?" she asked, looking the teen in the eye again. Ashley gave another weak nod and sighed, her breath still wheezy.  
  
Sharie also noticed when Ashley's hand moved from her head to her throat, and she swallowed painfully, indicating her dryness. Sharie understood at once and got her a bottle of water. She removed the respirator from Ashley's mouth, since it was no longer needed.  
  
Ashley winced in pain at the first swallow, but the cool liquid eased the fire in her throat, and she drank greedily, not stopping until there was none left.  
  
"Thank you," she squeaked, laying her head back down. She was so dizzy...  
  
"Do you know why you are here, Ash? Do you remember what happened?"  
  
Ashley looked confused for a moment, then her eyes widened and slowly nodded. She started, then attempted to raise up so she could look around for Delphine. "Delphine...she was..."  
  
"I am right here, Ashley," said the Aquitian softly. She still had difficulty walking herself, Trey had to help her over.  
  
Ashley slowly relaxed. "Thank goodness," she whispered. "How long was I out?"  
  
"Since yesterday. It is late in the afternoon of the next day," said Sharie softly. "You nearly died, Ash."  
  
"I know." something flickered behind Ashley's eyes as she said this.  
  
"How do you know?"  
  
"I..." she hesistated. "I felt my heart stop. It burned. I remember the void I was in. I remember talking to you, and sensing....Johnathan! Was Johnathan here?" She started, eyes wide. "For a moment, I felt he was...and I wanted to tell him I was okay..."  
  
"He was, Ash," Sharie attempted to calm her friend. "He knows. Notice your morpher is gone? He temporarily took your powers when your body rejected them."  
  
"She glanced instinctively at her wrist. "Johnathan, a Power Ranger?" she smiled weakly. "Who'd have ever thought? By the way, why am I wearing these?" she indicated her wrists, where the IV's still pierced them. "Are they really necessary?"  
  
"Afriad so. When you were under, the Hydrohog had sapped a dangerous amount of liquid from your body, and even with these, you were absorbing very little. Now they need to stay in place until at least most of your liquids are replaced and your electrolyte count is not so much out of whack. By the way..." she repeated her stern warnings about overdoing it.  
  
Ashley sighed. "Yes, doctor," she mimicked, with a weak smile on her face. They knew it was because Ashley was a very active girl and hated to be confined anyplace.  
  
Johnathan and Andros chose to return at that exact moment, and you could not imagine the depths of their delight when they found Ashley awake. They pounced on her at once, talking a million miles a minute.  
  
Ashley, though she looked glad to see them, also looked a little overwhelmed. Sharie saw this and interceded. "Okay, guys, she is awake, but she has not been for long, and she is still very weak. I know you are glad to see her, but don't overwhelm her, okay?"  
  
They nodded, looking a bit contrite. Johnathan gingerly removed the morpher from his wrist and held it out to Ashley. Ashley shot Sharie a questioning glance, and the girl moved to help her sit up. By now, she was hardly dizzy at all.  
  
"I think you would want this back," remarked her brother. "Being a Power Ranger is interesting, Ash, but you are much more used to it than me."  
  
"Don't put yourself down," said Andros. "You did a great job with the quantrons."  
  
"He fought a battle?" Ashley asked as she accepted the morpher from her brother. "Then you really are a genuine Power Ranger, John-john." He blushed, but she did not notice as she stared first at her morpher and then at her IV-pierced hand. "Sharie, could I remove these yet? They are a pain--and a hinderance."  
  
"Not yet. Sufficent water has to flood your tissues to get them working again. When you can walk to my satisfaction, then soon afterward, I will remove them. End of discussion."  
  
"Ash, do you remember what happened just before you collapsed?" asked Andros, repeating Sharie's earlier question.  
  
She nodded. "I know that my brain was screaming at me to save Delphine before she was killed by that monster. I just reacted." She glanced at Delphine and blushed. "I am glad you are okay, Delphine."  
  
The woman smiled. "I never got a chance to thank you, Ashley. I am grateful to you for my life, and I owe you a debt I can never hope to repay."  
  
Ashley's face colored further. "You owe me nothing. It is a job as a Power Ranger to help each other. I simply did what had to be done, though I am glad I was successful."  
  
****  
  
It was another hour before Sharie would allow Ashley to attempt to walk.  
  
"I feel fine," the girl complained as she swung her legs around. "You said I was cured."  
  
"I said you were cured of the poison. I did not say you were cured of the side effects of what happened, or the drain you took. Your body took serious water damage, Ash. You cannot rehydrate like an Aquitian, so it is taking you longer to recover. Be glad the cure I administered is speeding up the process, or you would be wearing them overnight."  
  
"Is that why I have been so thirsty?" Ashley mumbled as she scooted to the edge of the biobed.  
  
"Yes. Partially, it is a side effect from your experience. You and Delphine both will need a lot more water for the next few days than you would normally have, and I expect you to stick to it."  
  
Ashley nodded as she locked her arms around Sharie's neck, allowing the smaller girl to ease her to the ground.  
  
When her feet touched the floor, her knees gave way, And she sagged against Sharie's smaller frame for a moment. The girl supported her until Ashley felt the blood start to move in her legs again. Then she stood, panting, her face flushed with effort. Shakily, she stood fully and felt her knees support her this time.  
  
"Is that enough?" she asked tiredly.  
  
Sharie gave her a critical look, then nodded. "If you promise to drink as much water as you should, I will remove the intravenous lines. But I also want you to stay in the medical bay overnight, just to be sure. But if things continue to improve, then you should feel much better tomorrow."  
  
Sharie yawned the last words and dropped into a nearby chair, her face pale. Ashley noticed the circles under her eyes. "Did you even sleep last night?" she asked.  
  
"No. Many of us did not. The Aquitians were busy with the zords, the others with the Megaship upgrading her, and Andros was glued to your side. I was up all night looking for a cure to your condition."  
  
"If Ashley is well enough, Querida, we need to talk," said Carlos. "Where are we going to put the Aquitians? They were up all last night and are by now exhausted, like you are."  
  
"They can stay at my place. Plenty of room there, and the lake just behind. Especially Delphine will need such close access."  
  
Carlos nodded as Sharie removed the tape holding the IV lines in place as Ashley winced. Carefully, so as not to cause more pain to the girl, she pulled the needles free of Ashley's hands, but swiflty enough so that there was no blood. Ashley sighed in relief and flexed her almost-numb hands, to encourage blood flow.  
  
As Sharie tossed the lines down the recycler, an enormous yawn almost split her jaw in two. She sagged against the wall for a moment, then took a deep breath. It was still too early for bed yet, but somehow she could hardly wait for the time to come.  
  
****  
  
She gave the Aquitians the typical tour of her large place and warned them against touching anything without asking her how it worked first.  
  
"I don't want any accidents, not after the past few days," she said. "If one of you gets electrocuted, your dryness won't be due to the hydrohog's touch, I assure you."  
  
She showed them to seperate bedrooms and how to get outside for access to the lake.  
  
"I know most of you will still be busy until late," she said at last. "So I will let you get back to the zords or wherever you are working."  
  
All the Aquitians, save Delphine, were finishing up the new zords for use, so they scattered. Sharie had suggested that Delphine rest that afternoon and evening, she herself needed rest beyond anything she could recall needing. Trey was finished with the pyramidas and had not slept himself recently, so he was sticking around, also. Besides, Sharie knew that he did not care to leave Delphine any time soon, after the recent events that had unwantedly plagued them.  
  
****  
  
It was getting later as Sharie dragged her radio out, along with her favorite romance novel, to her favorite overhang by the lake. She was exhausted and could not think of anything else to get her to relax her stiff muscles. She had laid aside her book for the moment and had drawn her knees up to her chin, absorbed in the soft song that flowed out of her radio.  
  
No, I'm not making that promise again,  
  
Nothing can change my mind,  
  
Nothing at all....  
  
Thankfully, she was not too carried away by the music, or she would not have responded to her intuition to look up and move. Delphine was coming across the sand, albeit very slowly, her face again pale, and she looked like her knees were going to give way any second.  
  
Sharie was on her feet and at Delphine's side within seconds. She caught her friend just as she stumbled, no longer able to support her weight. Not asking questions, she helped Delphine to the water so she could rehydrate.  
  
"Thank you," said the Aquitian afterwards, settling down beside Sharie on the overhang. "I was not sure I would make it."  
  
"Should you not have come sooner?" Sharie asked practically, turning her ignored radio down somewhat.  
  
"It happened too suddenly. I was feeling fine one moment, the next I was so weak and dizzy I nearly blacked out. I had to literally drag myself outside."  
  
"Next time, teleport. If you are worried about the energy drainage, then I will hook your signature up and piggyback it to my power sources. I never have to worry about it."  
  
Delphine nodded absently as the quiet music from the radio reached her ears. "What form of music is that?" she asked, cocking her head. It had a pleasing sound, rather like the soft rhythms of her own world's music.  
  
"Just soft music, it is one of my favorite Earth styles. This would be the type typical for dancing to. You should see Trey's collection of music, though. He is a big fan of music from this planet--except the hardier types, which those from the darker sides prefer, no doubt."  
  
"What's this about dancing and my musical tastes?" said a familiar voice, and Sharie squirmed, then ducked away just in time. She knew that her brother would have pounced on her and tickled her again, like he had done earlier.  
  
"Aw, darn," he pretended to mourn, settling down beside Delphine instead. "You caught me that time, Lalinka."  
  
"That is because you are predictible, Trey Triesta," she teased. "I just mentioned to Delphine that you have a taste for Earth music, that is all. You really must show her your collection sometime." She reached over and kissed him lightly on the cheek before turning off her radio and reaching for her novel. "I will be by the fountain. The sun is getting low and the light lasts longer there. You two will have the area on this side to yourselves for awhile, it would seem."  
  
Both Trey and Delphine picked up on her subtle hint and blushed. They understood she was trying to tell them she was giving them ample time alone together--and total privacy.  
  
She supplemented this idea with a faint, knowing smile as her fingers absently found the bookmark and she wandered off down the beach, leaving them alone.  
  
Once she was out of earshot, Delphine sighed. "Gods, I cannot believe she just did that. She set us up....on her own property."  
  
"Is that so bad?" Trey teased, leaning down and kissing her full lips. Her body seemed to allow her the strength necessary to respond to him with her typical fire, and both soon found themselves breathless.  
  
"Not really," she said at last. "I just feel a bit...odd, having a romantic rondevouz on your little sister's property." "Trust me, Delphine," he chuckled. "If she minded in the least, knowing my sister, we would have permanent chaperones. She would see to that, not set us up." He kissed her again, lightly. "How do you feel? Strong?"  
  
"Relatively so..."  
  
"Remember that secret place you showed me yesterday?" he said. She nodded, turning faintly pink as she remembered what the trip had led up to. "I have my own out-of-the-way place here."  
  
"I thought this place belonged to your *sister*?" she commented as he took her by the hand and pulled her toward the stone wall and garden area.  
  
"Well," he admitted. "Sharie showed me this place first, but since she never uses it--at least, I don't think--she suggested I could use it when I needed to be alone. She has her own nooks and crannies she goes to be alone. The only times she ever comes here are to gather some of the flowers when they bloom, and then, rarely."  
  
He led her to a small, closed-in area, a small nook in the garden wall, surrounded by the high stone and several flowering bushes, and a tree. It was very hard to find, too easy to miss unelss one really looked for it. They were virtually garaunteed privacy.  
  
"The flowers smell wonderful," she noted as they settled on the cool grass. It looked like a paradise one would read about here.  
  
"Some of them are roses," he answered, indicating a couple of the bushes. "I would get you a couple, but I do not have pruning shears on hand, and they have thorns. How about a couple of lilacs?" He reached up into a tree and pulled a few from the branches and gave them to her.  
  
"They smell wonderful," she was delighted, inhaling their intoxicating scent. "Are you sure Sharie won't mind you've picked them?"  
  
"No, they are her favorite flower and she has lots of these trees scattered about. She won't mind as long as I don't overdo it. Besides, she said that this is basically my area, and everyone needs a place to meditate."  
  
"She is right," said Delphine, smiling a heart-warming smile at him. "She is so much like you it amazes me. No wonder Carlos is so crazy about her."  
  
Their lips inched closer, and she murmured, "no wonder I feel the same way about you."  
  
He smiled at that, his finger lifting her face to his before his mouth sealed over hers, at first gently, then with an increasing passion as she leaned into him. He groaned and pulled her into his lap, neither of their hands staying still, and Delphine showing no indication that she lacked the strength for this.  
  
"Here?" she gasped at last. "Are you sure it's okay?"  
  
He nodded breathlessly. "I think she planned it this way. I hate to admit it, but she knows me even this well. And I will be frankely amazed if Carlos does not show up tonight." Her hands were already impatiently tugging on his tunic and he forgot everything else as he pulled her against him and let his senses be set on fire as passion took complete hold.  
  
****  
  
Meanwhile, Sharie was quietly reading her book and had pushed her mind barriers up so she would not inadvertently sense what she had no doubt was going to happen. She had sensed their passion once, when they had been trapped on some unnamed planet, and it had felt very strange, and intrusive since it was from a source outside her own body. She did not care to feel it again.  
  
"Boo!" Sharie jumped, startled, to find Carlos behind her. "Ahh!" she shreiked in surprise.  
  
Realizing who it was, she shot him a look that contained daggers. "Carlos Perez, you scared me!"  
  
"Sorry, I just could not resist the opprotunity so blatantly staring me in the face. Where are the others?"  
  
"Everyone's gone but Delphine, Trey, and myself," she began, then turned red as he cocked an eyebrow at her. "Those two are uh...alone," she said at last.  
  
"Oh..." he said slowly, then wisely diverted from the subject. "Are you busy?"  
  
"Not at the moment; if I don't relax, I will be a basket case."  
  
He settled down beside her. "You bet you do, Querida. You've had a rough couple of days." Without thinking, his hands slid to her shoulders and began to massage the tenseness out of them. She made no objection, he mused, and within minutes, she was sagging against him.  
  
"Thanks," she mumbled. "I needed that, I suppose."  
  
"But it would never occur to you to ask," he teased gently, and she smiled, turning around to face him.  
  
"I guess not..." she smiled, and her arms slid around his neck. "I am glad you came, though, Carlos."  
  
"We are always here together, Querida," he reminded her gently, tapping her chest. She smiled, a bit dreamily, he mused, as his arms slid around her waist and his mouth lowered gently to hers.  
  
It started out innocently enough, but they had both forgotten that it was much easier to ignite their passion when Sharie's emotional barriers were not so uptight, and after the past couple of days, they most certainly were not now. He felt a tremor take her body and a whimper stifle in her throat as the pressure of her lips against his became harder, more ardent.  
  
What else could be done, except to respond in kind? His senses fell out of control really fast, but he did not realize this or care as he gathered her close to him and reached up a hand to pull her hair out of it's ponytail, so it fell down her slender back, over her shoulders, and his. The feathery softness of her curls made him crazy to feel something more than their light teasing torment against his skin.  
  
She inhaled sharply as his lips left hers and started to wander a trail down her neck, his hot breath and soft lips sending her senses into a dizzying talispin she could not control. She closed her eyes and breathed out softly, completely lost and willing to stay that way. It was getting too hard to stop herself, or what her body and heart told her was right, when this happened, and she was sick of stopping just as she fell out of control, or being interrupted by circumstances not within her control. She pressed closer against him, making no objection as his hands started to, of their own violation, to tug her tucked-in shirt free from her jeans shorts.  
  
He was out of control, he knew it. He could not stop himself. Her scent, her lips, her body, every soft spot and curve, it was sending him into a maddeningly hot, swirling place from which there was no return, and he wanted to take her with him.  
  
But he had a strong sense of honor, and he knew that if any objections had to be made, it was now. His hands had found their way under her shirt, and he was doing things to her she had never really thought about before, or what their effect on her could be. Her mind screamed it's agony when he disengaged his lips from hers. "Querida..."  
  
For once, she was not going to listen to practicality. She was going to listen to reason, and reason told her to stop his objections. And reason was also her body, her heart, her soul.  
  
"No!" she pleaded, kissing him again with so much fire he groaned and returned it eagerly, forcing her lips open beneath his so his tongue could find entrance into her pliant mouth. She moved against him, tugging at the buttons of his shirt until he was partially exposed, her hands sneaking inside.  
  
"Sharie!" he gasped, torn. She was provoking him, outright provoking him, which he had not expected. Gods, her *hands* were all over him...  
  
"Don't stop," she pleaded as his hands seemed to be everywhere at once, his lips ravaging hers with a fiery candence, covering her full lips and growing increasingly wild, the need to breathe all but ceasing.  
  
"I have---to say...." he gasped between kisses, the last thread of his control straining. "Are you...sure? This is your last....chance...."  
  
For answer, she disengaged her hands long enough to hit her teleporter button, her lips not leaving his. They vanished in a swirl of light, only to reappear in her bedroom.  
  
"I am sure," she whispered, tugging him backwards until they crashed upon her bed. He knew that no more action could convince him of her certainty than this. He gathered her close as, with his last coherent thought, he prayed that it would turn out the way both seemed to need it to be.  
  
He heard her faint moan as his hands snaked up under her shirt once more, his fingers finding her breasts and lightly beginning to massage them.  
  
Somehow, he could feel her hormones reach a fever pitch, and her essence in his mind flared sharply.  
  
A part of him was deeply stunned to realize that he was feeling her ecstacy along with his own.  
  
His surprise registered faintly in her mind as an astonished, *Querida?*  
  
"It sometimes happens, this, I think Trey told me," she gasped breathlessly. "Ah!"  
  
His curious, exploring fingers had caused her nipples to harden in response to his gentle teasing.  
  
"If two humans are truly in love, they can....too..." she whimpered. "At least, they forget where one of them ends and the other begins....they're so close...."  
  
"Shall we try for that?" his voice had deepened, taken on a husky edge she'd never heard before....a male in the throes of passion--maybe because her fingers were playing across his body, touching him in areas she'd never dared touch before, slipping inside his jeans in a surprise quest to know him....*all* of him.  
  
Her touch was light, curious and slightly uneasy....but the slightest contact shuddered through him like fire.  
  
After a moment, certain she was not hurting him, her touch became bolder, and throttled a cry from his lips. "Querida!"  
  
"Yes," she whimpered, finally answering his question. He tore her hand from his body and turned her around to face him. Gently he lifted her shirt over her head, his mouth replacing one of his hands in rapid succession.  
  
Through a haze of intense, shared feeling, they weren't sure just how the rest of their clothes managed to get removed, but the next thing either were aware of, they were both entirely naked on her bed, writhing and twisting with awakened, raw, virgin desire.  
  
A small part of Carlos was also a bit panicky. He had seen magazines and tapes, true, but that did not, it seemed, really prepare him for the real thing. He did not want to hurt her.  
  
She seemed to read his thoughts again along with feeling his burning desire alongside her own, in her mind and heart. "Let's just keep doing this," she gasped, feeling his free hand trail from her breasts to lower, teasing gently at her navel. "We...will find out what feels best."  
  
Dimly, Carlos decided to take her word for it. He couldn't think anymore, anyways, all he could do was act. His hands slipped lower and lower, finally reaching places of her body he'd never dared touch before.  
  
When his fingers first gently touched her there, he could feel her barely stiffen and press her legs tightly together for a moment....but the flare of fire he felt told him she really, *really* wanted this.  
  
*Open your legs, Querida,* the thought, barely words, more like a desperate emotional request, had her complying. With a small sigh, she relaxed, opening her legs and granting him access to the place where she was throbbing the most, in the fiercest, insanest swirling of fire she could imagine existed.  
  
"Carlos!" She could not believe he hadn't done this before. After a few hesistant, exploring touches, he seemed to instinctively find the right spot he was looking for, and suddenly sent a fiery wave of sensation coursing throughout her body, radiating from that spot clear to her toes and drenching her clouded brain with even more intoxicating sensations. His other hand, and his tongue, continued to gently massage her breasts, and she felt like she was madly rushing into a pinnacle, being shoved right to the brink.  
  
Somehow, her hand found his lap again, and once again began gently exploring him in the same manner as he'd been doing to her.  
  
A strangled cry came out of his mouth before he raised up in response, removing his mouth from her breast and clamping it tightly over hers instead, his cry being muffled by her lips and also catching the very faint sound that came out of her mouth as his own fingers did not cease, either.  
  
Both were total fire, jolts of electricity jerking through them again and again, feeling like a huge crescendo, a gradual buildup....and both not only feeling themselves, also feeling the other. Sharie had been right, he could hardly tell anymore where he ended and she began.  
  
All at once, just as he was about to burst, he felt a faint thread from her, a faint whisper of a new desire.....one that caused his heart to race madly, not only with desire but fear.  
  
*Please, now.*  
  
Gasping, he tore his mouth from her trembling, full lips and raised up, his inky eyes meeting her purple ones, eyes that were burning with such intense desire light seemed to blaze from them. He could feel electricity jolt through them both as just simply meeting the other's gaze did this to them.  
  
"Now....you want it now?" he rasped huskily, to be sure.  
  
She said nothing, only nodded....barely. She removed her hand from him and reached up, locking her arms around his neck and burying her face in his shoulder, where he felt her nod again.  
  
Carlos drew in a shuddery breath as he moved fully over her this time. More than anything he would loathe hurting her, but if they were truly as similar as she claimed they were, then surely this was also....three- fourths of human women had hymens as virgins, and surely Sharie had an intact one as well.  
  
"I will bear it," she whispered softly against his shoulder. "Even if it hurts. I want to be one with you, Carlos."  
  
Vaguely Carlos nodded, fighting for all the control he could muster. She raised her hips slightly, and he grasped them gently, steadying them both.  
  
Sharie wasn't making a sound, but her breathing was rapid, her eyes were darkening even further with fire--and just a flicker of fear, fear of the unknown.  
  
Carlos, whose eyes never left hers, positioned himself carefully, straining to not simply make one quick plunge and be done with it. Rudely tearing through her did not seem the right way to do this.  
  
Suddenly, Sharie's eyes widened imperceptibly, and a faintly surprised flicker crossed her gaze, one Carlos did not miss....he felt it too. She was suddenly feeling....*him* there, right at the entrance into her tight sheath. The feeling of the unknown invasion caused her to feel surprised, but also sent a new wave of unknown electricity bolting through her nether reigons.  
  
She drew in a quick breath as she felt him slide in futher, a couple of inches--not only of fire, but also a burning, vaguely uncomforable sensation of stretching. She was very tight, and Carlos, as she'd found out, was not small by any means.  
  
He moved back and forth within her a couple of times, barely inside her, but getting her used to the sensation--as well as himself. Even at this stage he was about over the edge, and she gasped suddenly and arched her back, he knew she was also welcoming this new, unknown heaven.  
  
She made no sound all this time, but he did see her lips, trembling, desperately trying to form the word, "Carlos...."  
  
Finally, as he pushed in once more, he encountered a blockage.  
  
Sharie felt him suddenly press against.....well, of course it was her maidenhead, but it was one part of her body she'd never really taken into thought before. Through all the fire coursing her body, though her very bones were melting and she ached for him to fill her completely......again came that faint twinge of unease.  
  
Carlos drew in a deep breath, exercising all the control he could muster. He drew back once more, seeing her eyes close. Quickly, before either could look back, he bent down, clamped his mouth hard over hers, and gave one quick, light, merciful lunge, feeling something rip and tear beneath his insistent pressure, and he was suddenly completely within her body.  
  
****  
  
Sharie's breath was almost stolen from her completely when Carlos's mouth clamped over hers. It only made her more aware of him drawing back, readying himself and her--and suddenly, she felt him drive forward.  
  
He pressed hard against her virgin barrier, which suddenly ripped and tore apart. A fiery burst of pain radiated from between her legs, overwhelming all other feelings, and Sharie completely froze. Carlos' mouth over hers caught her startled shriek of pain.  
  
Carlos could feel her pain as his own the instant her innocence ripped. It was so strong it caused even him to inwardly wince. He stopped, somehow knowing that he must let her get used to him.  
  
For several moments, he did not move, just held her there, having seen the expression of pain that had crossed her face, having muffled her shocked cry--then her amethyst eyes opened again.  
  
Her eyes were damp with tears, but they did not overflow.  
  
And she *smiled* at him.  
  
Sharie knew he felt it within the pain radiating from within her eased and ebbed away after a few seconds. She felt full to bursting, and now that her hymen was gone, besides the burning pain of being stretched--it also felt *wonderful*.  
  
She saw the look of intense relief and love that covered his face, and she could feel it along their link.....now they were one. *Completely* one.....just like Trey and Delphine had to be by this point themselves. Now Sharie realized she was beginning to *truly* understand why--understand in a way that, despite what they might say, no virgin really could until they felt *this*.  
  
"Querida," he murmured, reaching down and gathering her close to him. Her arms came around him tightly as, softly as he could at first, he started to move within her.....fully within her. Gently, then gradually harder.  
  
Sharie began to breathe silently, but very hard. Only Carlos, so close, could hear the sound of air rasping in her chest.  
  
Oh, gods, she was flying! They both were! Fire after wave of sheer fire danced like molten lava along their bodies, radiating not only from their joining but also from their hearts. Sharie lost all sense of surroundings, of being on anything but air, of being hurled into one incredible abyss. From behind her closed eyelids, starburst after golden starburst exploded, making her feel that much closer towards the ultimate heaven, each incredible thrust driving them both onward towards some ulitmate goal, some brilliant paradise that neither could really fathom, yet somehow knew was there and that they must strive to reach it.  
  
She could feel Carlos alongside her, and his essence in her mind was getting larger and larger, doubling her pleasure as she felt his alongside hers. It continued to grow in intensity as his thrusts within her grew harder and all the more desperate, reaching a fast, electric tempo of desperation, of striving.  
  
Carlos also felt lost, of drowning, of sobbing, of reaching, of feeling a bright light just beyond their reach. Sharie's presence in his mind was growing as strong as his own, and moreso. He could hardly tell them apart now, and the fire jolting through them both was almost there....almost close to an incredible peak.....promising an intense explosion......the ultimate heaven.  
  
Beneath him, Sharie suddenly stiffened for a moment......and he felt her begin to spasm, her sheath contracting around him sharply and her arms spasmodically gripping him so tightly he could barely get any breath.  
  
At that exact moment, the blinding whiteness also rushed over him, setting his body completely asunder with wild shocks of lightning.  
  
The light of promise, the brightness of the ulitmate heaven, that Sharie had sensed was just beyond her reach, suddenly rushed at her, and at once, overwhlemed her with an incredible burst of ecstacy, and obscuring those starbursts behind her eyes with an intense white light, and radiating something through her--a huge hot wave of passion that flooded all her senses and obscured anything else, only sent her and Carlos hurtling heavenward.  
  
One heartbeat later, something even more incredible happened.  
  
Her essence in his mind exploded, and suddenly he could not tell himself from herself. They were one. He could not sense her thoughts or memories, of course, but all this sheer feeling, all she was feeling right now......their essences collided and fused, along with their burning passion.  
  
Carlos, unsure of who he was at the moment but not caring, lunged once more into her and felt the long-sought explosion, felt her final ascent into a whirling, twisting paradise, flying free of any earthly constraints and soaring with the stars into a mad exotic whirlpool of ecstacy.  
  
Carlos gave only a faint, strangled cry to reveal all that he was feeling at the moment. It was all he could do.  
  
Sharie made no sound, but the tears that suddenly pearled her cheeks were from sheer happiness.  
  
****  
  
For many long moments, they held, feeling the sheer electricity binding them so close continuing to hold them aloft and soaring, until Carlos felt they would go mad from the sheer ecstacy of it--but finally a sheer peace crept up from their toes and went northwards, causing a great sigh to shudder through Carlos's body and a long, soft breath to be issued from Sharie's lungs.  
  
Gently Carlos collapsed atop her, utterly spent and completely sated. He buried his face in her tousled platinum curls and smiled, ever so slightly, to himself. He could once again feel himself, and knew she was probably aware of who she was again, too.  
  
Sharie smiled as her arms gently moved to hug him softly, but firmly. She was more than fulfilled. She'd been sent airborne beyond her wildest dreams or expectations. Her mother, Trey, anybody she'd ever spoken to who said they enjoyed this sort of thing--they knew what they were talking about.  
  
From somewhere in the area of her narrow shoulder, where is face was buried, she heard him raspily ask, "Querida? I did not hurt you more than I could help?"  
  
"After that?" she rasped, amused. "Carlos, I hate to inform you of this, but most girls have to face that the first time, you know. You were....I can't find the words to describe what we just felt, only that it was incredible--and so are you." Absently she kissed his dark head, wondering if he knew of the wonderful gift he'd given her, bringing this side of her, the side she always had thought would be cold and untouchable, to life....flaringly, burstingly, ecstatically to life!  
  
She heard his amused sigh, and he leaned up on his arms to look down into her eyes--noting the tears that had pearled her cheeks. If he hadn't known she'd been telling him the honest truth, he'd have been afraid she was lying to reassure him.  
  
"So incredible you cried, Querida?"  
  
"Oh, you!" she giggled, leaning up and kissing his mouth hard.  
  
"Gonna cry every time?" He grinned mischeviously and nibbled her chin with his lips.  
  
"Probably not," she smiled, and shivered as his action caused a new course of flame to lick through her. "I just got to be one with you, Carlos, for the first time--and it made me so incredibly happy I could not help the tears this time."  
  
"Funny," he rasped, and she was startled to notice tears in *his* eyes momentarily, as well. "I kinda feel the same way."  
  
"Oh, Carlos," she sighed, deeply touched but smiling as well. Her smile at him told him how much his feelings had struck her square in the heart. "Shall we sit here and do nothing but cry for awhile?"  
  
"Querida!" he protested, catching her against him and tickling her neck with his tongue. She knew how deeply he felt; it matched her own feelings. It did make him incredibly happy, and for a few moments, he did want to cry--but she was causing him to laugh instead.  
  
Her wild giggles told him he had found a ticklish spot. For a few minutes, they both got involved in silly love-play and forgot about the time. If Carlos hadn't been so aware that Sharie was very tired, and probably, having been a virgin, very *sore* as well, he'd have happily done another round. But he was too considerate to press the issue, and instead played along with her giggles and exploring fingers.  
  
Finally, Sharie glanced at the clock, and stopped cold in her tracks.  
  
"It is about sunset," she said regretfully. "Somebody may show up soon, Carlos, and Delphine and Trey will probably come out of hiding at any time now."  
  
He blushed and nodded, both reaching for their clothes and hurriedly dressing. After Sharie had pulled her shoes back on, Carlos snatched her closely to him, and to his surprise felt her heart beating in time with his own.  
  
Her eyes met with his, and he became aware of something else....her essence in the back of his mind. In their incredible dedication to each other, a strange bond had been forged. It had been there, he suspected, from the time he first met her.....but this, what had happened, had made it more prominent, and him more aware of it.  
  
His wide eyes somehow told her this, as well as his incredulous, wondering, "Querida...."  
  
She smiled at him, and he knew that she was as incredibly happy about what had transpired between them, and what this bond meant, as a result.  
  
He had been about to ask if she'd ever regret this, their first time, but seeing her now, the words died away in his throat as he knew the answer before he asked.  
  
Gently, instead, his mouth lowered to hers, only symbolically sealing for eternity what was already sealed in their souls.  
  
****  
  
It was lucky that by the time they managed to get back outside, and to the beach, only then did Trey and Delphine also choose to show themselves again, and they weren't exactly caught.  
  
Sharie caught sight of the pair first and nudged Carlos, but said nothing. She noticed her brother's face had a telltale flush to it, as well as Delphine's, and his pupils were slightly dialated. *Oh, yes,* she thought, trying unsuccessfully to hide a smile, *I understand fully, and I mean *fully*, what you were up to.....*  
  
It made her aware that she, herself, probably suddenly exhibited the same essence of a person well-sated, and she knew her lips were kiss-swollen, and the same telltale flush on her own face.  
  
She might as well not hide it from him. She knew he'd been expecting her to do this sooner than later anyway, and as close as she and Trey were, he was bound to notice immediately that a certain innoncence she had possessed was now gone. Truly, now, a major portion of the adult world was open to her.  
  
Seeing the two younger ones there, the older ones flushed and said nothing. Delphine saw Sharie and Carlos clasping hands, like lovers, and turned bright red--not because she noticed, but because she knew Sharie full well knew what they'd been up to.  
  
"Uh....afternoon, Trey...." Carlos, also blushing for some reason, tried to say a few words. "Were you....having a good time?"  
  
A rather surprised look crossed Trey's face, and as his own words sank into his mind and he realized what he'd said, Carlos also looked surprised--then mortified.  
  
Delphine became scarlet, turning and burying her face in Trey's slightly- rumpled tunic.  
  
Sharie could not help it. She had to cover her mouth with her hand to keep from breaking into peals of laughter.  
  
"I did not mean it that way!" Carlos hastened. "Sharie said you were busy, and...."  
  
Trey, his cheeks flaming, nodded briefly at Carlos in understanding before shooting Sharie a vague, "loud-mouth" Look.  
  
Carlos's communicator went off at that exact moment, and the boy in black was glad for the distraction.  
  
"Probably TJ," said Carlos, blushing. He reached out and, almost desperately all of a sudden, pulled Sharie into one more, heated kiss right in front of her brother--not that she really cared. More than anything, he wanted to stay with her tonight, but with certain others around, and what was happening in general, it was out of the question. They both knew it. "I will see you tomorrow, Querida," he promised at last, letting her go. "I love you."  
  
"I love you too," she whispered, smiling sadly as she watched him vanish in a swirl of black light.  
  
Her sigh was deep after he was gone, and Trey finally began to take notice. "Been busy yourself, Lalinka?" he asked casually, trying to forget Carlos' embarassing words--and he was a bit startled when her breath caught. When she turned to face him, her cheeks were red flags themselves, and a certain...look in her eyes caught his attention.  
  
"Well..." she stumbled. "Carlos came shortly after you and Delphine....left, and he knew where I was."  
  
Her brother gave her a slightly embarrassed look. "You deliberately set us up, Lalinka."  
  
"So? Your time on Aquitar got cut short. And especially after what happened, I figured you could use a little time alone together. I assume you enjoyed yourselves."  
  
He flushed scarlet. "Seems you did, too, Lalinka," he quipped, tapping her own kiss-swollen lips lightly. He had only meant to joke, but he was a bit surprised when her cheeks turned redder than his, and her eyes lowered and she actually turned her back for a moment.  
  
It took a moment for her posture to convey what she could not exactly say aloud. But somehow, it clicked in his mind. And knowing that she had never acted like this before at the mention of Carlos....  
  
*Just so that you are completely certain about this, Lalinka,* he sent. He knew she was nervous about what he would say, and if she was this nervous, then it had to have been her first time.  
  
*I am!* Her vhemence surprised him. *I have never before been so certain about anything in my life!*  
  
She got an odd look on her face, then he heard, tenatively, *Trey, will you do me a favor?*  
  
*Sure, Lalinka, anything.*  
  
*Don't let word of this get to Mother. At least not yet. Please.*  
  
He was dumbfounded. *Sharie...our mother has been under the impression you and Carlos have been...intimate for quite some time, now, because of how close you two are and how much you love each other. I never contradicted her because I was not sure how you two felt about the whole situation, but she has made no move to condemn you.*  
  
She looked relieved. *That's good, then. But still...don't say anything, yet.*  
  
*I won't, Lalinka, you have my word.*  
  
Delphine had been watching the silent mental conversation. She did not know what they were saying exactly, but she got the gist from their postures and body language. She simply said nothing. It was not her business.  
  
****  
  
She had remained oddly quiet for the rest of the evening, and Trey did not wonder why. If the other Aquitians had not been around, she would have had Carlos spending the night with her, no doubt. But everyone still had a lot on their mind, so it was not possible.  
  
She seemed overly tired, and it was dark out. The other Aquitians were arriving and discussing tomorrow's strategy, but she stayed aside, not paying attention. Trey was about to go up to her and suggest she go to bed, but her distance had seemed to take a new dimension. Her eyes seemed to have an added glaze about him, and she was already dressed in her nightclothes. When he came up behind her and put his arms around her, and scarcely felt her acknowledge him, that he got really worried. He also felt the faint rumble of her stomach beneath his hand and wondered why she had not eaten...in fact, he could not recall her having eaten since....he had not personally seen her eat today or yesterday, that much was certain.  
  
"Lalinka?" he asked, releasing her and slowly turning her around so she faced him. Her eyes were completely empty and reflected his image back to him, he was certain she was barely seeing him there. He looked her over carefully, noting her strange symptoms and hoping ferverently she was not ill.  
  
Her nightgown was just plain white, her hair was unbound, her feet were bare. He noticed nothing remarkable about how she was dressed until it dawned on him she was wearing nothing purple whatsoever.  
  
*Of course!* He cursed silently. Color withdrawl. Maybe when she had changed it had slipped her mind to put on something purple, and within minutes, she would have spaced out on them altogether, becoming even more exhausted in the process. If left untreated too long, he knew, it could give her a whanging headache or make her ill. And with powers of her nature, it would usually hit her twice as hard as a regular ranger.  
  
He sighed and let go of her. She made no move that said she had known he had moved away. He looked, hard, into her eyes, until she blinked and vaguely saw him.  
  
"What?" she mumbled half-heartedly. "Stop....stop staring."  
  
"Tell me of something purple in your room you can wear, Lalinka, and quickly, so I can go get it."  
  
She was silent, and he had to shake her to get her attention again. "S- scrunchie...nightstand," she said at last. "Why..."  
  
"You have color withdrawl, Lalinka," he said. "Stay here."  
  
She nodded once, slowly. "Forgot..." was all she said, before her eyes glazed over again, obviously expecting him to help her and trusting him to do it.  
  
He sighed and moved away, calling to Delphine.  
  
"Could you keep an eye on her?" he asked. "She's suffering from color withdrawl, and I don't trust her not to accidentally do something wrong when she is like this. I have had it before, and it can turn the sharpest person into a dazed-out drone."  
  
Delphine nodded and pulled the spaced-out girl aside and pushed her into a nearby chair. The girl went without protest, looking through her as if she did not exist. Delphine had no doubt that, according to the girl's warped- out mind, she did not exist at all. Sharie had gone so passively, she had probably not registered Delphine beside her in the least.  
  
****  
  
Trey was glad he did not have to hunt long before he found the scrunchie she had indicated. Gods, he hated color withdrawl, he knew how if felt and always tried to make sure he wore something golden so he would not have to be affected. It only did not affect a Ranger when they wore something with their designated color. Sharie's eyes might be purple, but they certainly were of no protection. Picking up the scrunchie, he turned and made his way back downstairs.  
  
****  
  
She should not have forgotten, that much she could recall. She could see what was going on, but could not absorb it. The noise in her ears was immense, and she was very tired. It registered faintly that she was hungry, as well, but she could not recall why, or what to do about it. Faint shadows lingered on the edge of her vision, but they seemed...ghostly, disembodied. *People*, her mind thought dully, but she did not exactly comprehend the word.  
  
It was just barely perceptible that a disembodied hand lifted her arm, and slid a purple scrunchie onto her wrist. She saw a faint sparkle as the Power found a conduit back to her, and suddenly, the buzzing in her ears stopped and she realized she could hear and see clearly again.  
  
She blinked, startled by all the clarity, and she turned to try and focus on the body whose hand had put the scrunchie on her arm.  
  
"Trey?" she asked. "Did...was I....did I have...."  
  
He seemed relieved. "Yes, you did. You can see me and make sense of me now?"  
  
She nodded. "Yeah, thanks."  
  
"Fine, then on to the next item of business: When did you last eat anything?" he asked. Her pale pallor had not left, and he was fairly certain now lack of food was the culprit.  
  
She shook her head, as if trying to clear it of the last of the fuzziness. "Not since...before this whole mess started, I think. About...forty-eight hours ago. I was going to after I had changed, but as you saw..." she lowered her eyes. "It had ample opprotunity to slip my mind."  
  
*And yet, she found the strength to be with Carlos* he mused, and she shot daggers at him with her sharp gaze.  
  
*I heard that, Trey!* she shot at him. *That is not funny.*  
  
*Why were you listening?* he sent back mildly.  
  
*It takes a few minutes to get all my barriers back in place after withdrawl, you know that,* her tone had barely softened as he pushed her toward the kitchen.  
  
****  
  
It was not the last of her strange actions that night. Somewhere in the depths of the dark night, long after everyone else was in bed, she had another of those nightmares she dreaded.  
  
As Trey woke up and heard her muffled cries, he sighed as he pushed back the covers and went to awaken her, no matter the danger for awakening someone from a dream like this. He was glad the aquitians were sleeping in a seperate wing, and would not have to be woke up by the noise. It would have embarrassed Sharie to no end. Heck, she had never wanted *him* to know about it.  
  
He had to call her and shake her hard before clarity entered her eyes and she realized it was not her assailant holding her down, but her brother. She sighed in both relief and regret that he had to wake her up from this yet *again*, and she relaxed against him, scrubbing irratably at her face.  
  
"I'm sorry you had to hear that," she mumbled groggily. *Because he will start asking questions again...*  
  
"Rather my hearing it than letting you suffer alone," he reassured her, hugging her. "I don't suppose you want to tell me what you saw."  
  
"It's not that I don't *want* to, this time," she mumbled. "I just can't find the words to say it with."  
  
He understood this time and did not press. It had hurt her terribly when he had tried to force it out of her last time, and he had come to realize that if she could not say it after gentle prodding, it was not worth opening old wounds so much to get it out of her, and she would say it when she was ready.  
  
After she was asleep again, he sighed and went back to bed, only to find Delphine in the hall.  
  
"Is she okay?" the woman asked, worried. "I was just coming back from rehydrating, and I heard her cry out."  
  
"She will be fine," he said. "She has these sometimes. And it is the devil trying to get it out of her. Don't let on that you know right away. She does not want anyone to know."  
  
She nodded. "Goodnight, Trey," she said softly, leaning up to kiss him lightly.  
  
"Night, Delphine," he said, hugging her before going back to bed. Delphine stared after him, concerned. She knew it distressed him when anything happened to his sister, and he was nearly the same uptight individual when it came to matters like this. She still did not understand how anybody could suffer that much anguish and get away with it, and she could only pray that they could resolve it one day.  
  
****  
  
Exhausted as she was from two days of no sleep, plus the combined effects of color withdrawl and a nightmare to boot, Sharie found herself awakening just before sunrise the next morning. She was so completely worn out, she wanted to lie in bed and whimper, but she could not have gone back to sleep if she tried. Somehow, she felt that the problem with the Hydrohog was going to be resumed today, and she wanted to end it all when the time came.  
  
Sighing, she kicked off her covers and climbed out of bed, heading for the shower, hoping the cool liquid would drag her out of her stupor. She had slept with the scrunchie on her wrist, and now, so soon after suffering from color withdrawl, she hesistated to remove it even to bathe. So she did as quickly as possible before the buzzing returned to her ears. She quickly dressed in a button-down violet shirt, slipping her locket--the one she never removed for anything--down underneath her shirt, and tucked the shirt into a pair of knee-length jean shorts. White socks and purple tennis shoes completed the outfit. She brushed out her long damp curls and let them hang loose, except for a purple headband that held it off her face. She was too tired to try and arm-wrestle it into a ponytail.  
  
Her stomach alerted her, and she felt a sense of renewed guilt. She inadvertently glanced down at her frame, noting she was still quite pale and had probably lost more than a pound or two due to her negligence. Sighing, she glanced in the mirror one final time and headed downstairs.  
  
****  
  
"The Hydrohog could renew his attacks at any time," said Andros, glancing at the rest of the group again gathered in Sharie's backyard. "He may try to infiltrate some of Angel Grove's other water sources before he does, to gain strenght, no doubt. Or he may have already done so. I suggest that some of us go and investigate these places, and see if he has been there...or if he does, to set the alarm.  
  
Both Ashley and Delphine voiced that they did not want to remain on the sidelines any longer, and wished to help.  
  
"What is the harm in some simple scanning?" asked Ashley irritably. "I hated being cooped up in the Medical Bay all night. Tired as I am, I have to get outdoors for awhile."  
  
"I also don't want you or Delphine fainting on us while we are busy," objected Sharie practically. "It will be all too easy for that to happen for a couple of days, yet."  
  
"We will be careful, honest. I just don't want to sit around on my arse doing nothing."  
  
The White Aquitain Ranger was in full agreement with the Yellow Lightstar Ranger on this point.  
  
Sharie grudgingly agreed, and when search parties were formed, she made sure that both women were in her group, along with Trey and the twins. Marisha and Marek were at an emergency meeting, and since law dictated that the kids, geniuses or not, could not be left alone for long, then they had grudgingly asked Sharie to keep them with her, only making them leave in case of an emergency.  
  
"We could help anyways," signed Toby. "We know how to handle the scanning instruments as much as you do. We don't want to be 4X4's around anyone's necks."  
  
"You will *never* be that, Toby," Sharie was swift to assure both kids with a hug. "You know what to do in case of an attack.....basically, run like mad, teleport if you can, or defend yourselves like I taught you, if need be."  
  
The group relocated to Angel Falls, which had been the site of trouble in the past. It was also a pure water source, and Sharie wanted to take no chances.  
  
When a hawk sailed overhead and let out it's high-pitched screech, everyone winced, but the twins gasped, and covered their ears. They exchanged "good- grief" glances and reached into their ear canals to pull out their tiny hearing aids and turn them down.  
  
"That was loud," agreed Ashley. "But it at least got rid of the song that was going through my head and driving me nuts."  
  
"I hate it when that happens," Sharie remarked. "You could have tried singing it."  
  
"Maybe. But singing is more of Cassie's department."  
  
"I have heard you sing. You have a nice voice."  
  
"I don't care to make a career of it. Why don't you ever sing? I have never heard you do it, and your voice is so soft and clear. You probably have a pretty voice yourself."  
  
"I have not sang in years, Ash. I have little reason to." Sharie suddenly found herself squirming as Trey's eyes bored into her back.  
  
"So?"  
  
She was saved from having to answer by an unfamiliar voice breaking in. "Now I am seeing things. Delphine, Trey? What are you doing here?"  
  
Surprised, they turned to see two boys, former rangers. One was Jason Lee Scott, former red and gold rangers, and Adam Park, former black and green rangers. Between them, they were absently swinging a little girl with long black hair and snappy black eyes, her asian features clearly evident.  
  
Sharie saw her brother catch sight of the little girl and his eyes widened in shock, which he quickly tried to hide.  
  
"Hey, guys," said Adam cheerfully. "Long time no see. What are you all doing here? I hope there is not trouble...especially if you have children with you, which might be a good thing." He nudged the girl forward. "I have to babysit tagalong here, and she was as bored as we were."  
  
"My name's not tagalong," she said smartly to her brother. "It's Anna."  
  
Sharie chuckled. "Nice to meet you, Anna," she said. She glanced at the two boys. "I am afraid there is trouble. The Hydrohog is back, so I would be careful if I were you. I had to keep an eye on the twins. They are my cousins, but their parents are at an emergency meeting."  
  
"I gathered that there was trouble if the Aquitian Rangers were here," said Jason soberly. He watched as Anna tugged her hand free of her brother's firm grip and hesistantly ventured toward the twins. "Don't go far, Anna," her brother called after her, and Sharie wondered why he was so overly nervous.  
  
"I hope she speaks clearly to those two," Sharie remarked. "They are deaf, but they can lipread."  
  
The old sparkle came back into his eyes. "Anna's pretty smart. She knows the basics of sign language, at least. She will be fine." he blushed, and for some reason, looked guilty. "But I still do not want her wandering far. I don't care for a repeat performance of nine and a half months ago."  
  
"A repeat performance?" Sharie echoed, bewildered. "I am sorry, Adam. I have never spoken to you before this, though I saw you on Aquitar. That must have sounded nosy."  
  
"I know you are Trey's sister," he assured her with a smile. "So I trust you. The incident I was referring to....Gasket and Archarina once kidnapped Anna, held her hostage--relatively speaking--for two days. I about went insane with worry. But--" he smiled in his sister's direction, "It all turned out for the best. Anna--somehow, she touched those two, and they grew to love her enough to let her go. So I got her back without fuss...and they were taught a rare lesson."  
  
"Nine and a half months?" Sharie asked, thinking back. "Why, that was the time during the appearances of the mysterious Gold Ranger, I seem to recall." She flashed her brother a "you-tell-me" look.  
  
"Trey was there, yes," said Adam. "Now I understand why he vowed so to help me find Anna. I thought he was a bit more empathic to the situation than the rest."  
  
"I did not care to have you go through what I went through," said Trey quietly. "I was determined to help in any way I could."  
  
Sharie smiled inadvertently as she glanced back at the children, now showing Anna the scanning devices and trying to describe what they had been doing. "Her name is Anna?" she asked. Adam nodded. "Now some mysteries of Gasket and Archarina are finally falling into place."  
  
Adam raised an eyebrow at her.  
  
"They have changed, from what I know. They still rule their planet, but their people are no longer so slave-driven. They are leading better lives for what they do. And they have constructed a daughter." Sharie thought a moment. "Did Anna ever have a rag doll that she carried with her...a Raggedy Ann?"  
  
"What do you know about her?" asked Anna, who had overheard. "I gave her to Archarina. I did not want her to think I had any hard feelings for what she did. And I wanted remind her that you don't have to be bad to get what you want. If she could profess to feel love for a strange girl, then maybe she could change in other ways--Gasket, too."  
  
"That Raggedy Ann was her greatest treasure," sighed Adam. "And Archarina knew it."  
  
"That doll is being put to good use," said Sharie with a smile. "I saw them when I infiltrated their world recently. Their daughter was playing with it. And you won't believe her name...they named the girl Anna."  
  
Anna flushed red, and her head bowed. "I only wanted to show them that they did not have to be so mean to others to be happy," she confessed, embarassed. "I did not know they would take it so literally."  
  
"It seems you made a pretty powerful impression on them," said Trey gently. "I told you that once."  
  
"*You* were the guy in the gold suit I saw?" she asked, wide-eyed. He nodded. She grinned. "Adam had told me at the time that you were hanging around helping. He said later you were a leader of another planet, but Jason had to take your powers for a time."  
  
"That is true," said Trey. Though the girl was smart, he could still see it, and she was a bit taller than he had seen her last, her eyes reflected the same deep wisdom and endearing qualities that he was sure had changed the hearts of Gasket and Archarina for the better.  
  
"So what are you doing here?" asked Jason nonchalantly, looking again at the odd mixture of rangers that had come to Angel Falls. "I come here sometimes because it is a good place to meditate. Adam was bored, and kidsitting his bored sister, so I invited them along."  
  
"Searching for Hydrohog infiltration," said Sharie, watching Anna race off back to the twins. "He may try to do something to this water source, or use it to power up somehow. I don't want to take any chances."  
  
Sharie got up, in the meantime, and headed for the waterfall, noticing that there was an odd darkness behind it as she got close. Daringly, she sepped onto a narrow rock ledge and behind the waterfall, not noticing the cool dampness on her clothes. She suddenly felt oddly compelled to come back here--  
  
She felt she had to shout to make herself heard over the gentle roar of the falls. "Hey, guys, did you know that there is a cave back here?"  
  
"What? No," said Jason, coming over and peering behind the falls. "I never thought to look when I came here before. I was content to watch it from this side." He cast an inadvertent glance at the twins, then said to Sharie, low, "I assume the children are privy to a few things..."  
  
Sharie nodded. "They have been on the edge of adventures themselves. They know quite a lot. And they have teleporters. I never cared for them to be bait."  
  
By now, the attention of everyone had been caught, and they were gathering behind the waterfall, ducking behind the rainbow-hazed mist.  
  
"Wow. This place is cool," said Anna, ever the scientist. Still, she did not object when Adam found her hand and clutched it, a reflex he had developed after her kidnapping.  
  
It was dim inside, with just barely enough light to see by without breaking an ankle. The cave appeared empty and a little small.  
  
"Looks like a dead end," whispered Ashley.  
  
"No....wait," said Sharie, running her fingers along the wall. Her sensetive fingertips had found a few oddly-shaped holes, and she squinted and peered closer as she felt their shape. "Trey, look at this!"  
  
He came over, peering to see the vague shadows. The top hole was their very own helmet designs, the ones below were a group shape of the former Zeo Chards that the Zeo Rangers had used.  
  
"Do you think...?" whispered Sharie. "Whatever is behind here has to do with the Zeo Crystals?"  
  
Jason and Adam came over to see for themselves, and Jason frowned. "Wait a sec. I seem to remember Zordon telling me, right after the Muranthias mess, that there was something that had to do with the Zeo Crystals hidden somewhere along the North River. The Falls are part of the North River. He only said that at least two Zeo sources could unlock it, to gaurantee against theft, I suppose. Trey, Sharie, that would only be you two now. I don't know what happened to the crystals Adam and the others used. It disappeared after the Command Center was destroyed, TJ told me."  
  
"Then let's see," said Sharie, unable to contain her curiosity. She and Trey summoned their power staffs.  
  
"Golden Power Staff!"  
  
"Violet Power Staff!"  
  
The twin weapons appeared in their hands. Trey and Sharie looked at each other for a moment, then held them before the lock. Power suddenly flashed from the staffs and hit the lock, and there was an audible *click* as a door formed out of nowhere and swung magically open. A dim glow could be seen from the doorway.  
  
"You guys stay here," said Sharie quietly. "I am going in."  
  
"I am coming with you, Lalinka," Trey hissed firmly. "I don't want you hurt."  
  
He was surprised when she made no objection, but nodded reluctantly, not wanting him hurt, either. Silently, the two Triforians crept inside.  
  
They entered a room that was eerilie glowing several different colors at once. On the wall, in several different languages, was an inscription, reading,  
  
i"Beware! All those who enter this room must be pure of heart, or they will not live to leave it. If you are evil, do not step beyond the seal on the floor."i  
  
"The 'seal' on the floor consisted of a huge, bulky Zeo Crystal. Around it, there were several designs. Five were designs from the Zeo Team, three were of shapes not seen on the Zeo Crystal, and *three* were of the design that matched the ones shared by Sharie and Trey. Remembering the ledgend of the origons of the Zeo Powers, the rumor that a third power had been derived from the Gold appeard to be true. Sharie's was violet--what was the third? It had been lost to history.  
  
Brother and sister looked at each other, nodding. Carefully, they crossed the seal--and froze as some supernatural force held them in place. Both got the distinct feeling they were being scanned.  
  
Suddenly, they found themselves released, and some unseen presence seemed to give them the go-ahead, for a small spotlight appeared out of nowhere, highlighting a trunk in the corner.  
  
Sharie glanced questioningly at her brother, before going over and kneeling before the trunk. Hesistantly, and with the utmost caution, she lifted the latch.  
  
As Trey knelt beside her, she lifted out several parchements. She glanced at one, automatically starting to read it.  
  
To her surprise, she realized she was holding an important piece of history. It was about the Zeo Crystal--the ancient, complete one. The parchement told how it had been broken apart over the eons and distributed to the known and unknown universe.  
  
Three crystals, still joined in a trifold clump, had ended up on Triforia before splintering again to three new units--Gold, Violet, and *silver*. It was known as the "Colors of the Three Sisters."  
  
Earth had the "Group Unity" crystals: Pink, yellow, blue, green, red...and white. White? Sharie thought absently as she read on, entranced. Somewhere in Aquitar's depths were Lavendar and black. Edenoi had orange, aquamarine, and copper. Inquiris had peach and grey. A distant planet called Mirinoi had a "Rainbow" crystal, shades from other crystals, and had been made into swords, caught in stone.  
  
All these, and many others, were hidden and scattered throughout the known and unknown universe, either currently in use or laying in wait, undiscovered.  
  
Sharie was about to return the parchments to the trunk, when something else caught her eye. She could not stop herself from pausing to read it.  
  
Anybody who had come into contact with the Zeo Energy field would also be able to tap the Morphin Grid through their own beings. These powers bestowed on such individuals were called the Zeo Warrior Powers. Quite a bit less powerful than the regular crystals, they needed no other power source, and were still quite fit for self-defense. They were not fit for conquering an enemy, however. But the user would find that they would have more protection, and access to certain weapons.  
  
If the person had never morphed, their color would assume that closest to their personality. If they had morphed, then they would take on the color they had held as a Zeo Ranger. They did not have to be a Ranger to be a Zeo Warrior, as long as they had access to the energy field for a time.  
  
"Zeo Warrior Powers, hm?" asked Trey from behind her as she finally put the parchments back in the trunk and picked it up. "That sounds handy, in case we are ever caught again without our powers, we would still have some means of defense."  
  
When they told the rest about it, outside, Jason looked interested, but spoke up. "Won't what happened to me last time happen now? I do not care to go through a repeat performance. I was ill for a long time even after I gave the powers back to Trey."  
  
"I don't think so. Your link would be in perfect harmony with your body, as Adam's would be to his." Sharie waved her hand, teleporting the trunk away for later study. But first, they had to finish their work.  
  
It seemed danger never left them alone, for one minute, they were working peacefully, the next they were being surrounded by Darkonda, monsters, and Quantrons.  
  
"You can't teleport," sneered the leader easily. "I've made sure of that. However, hand over the parchements."  
  
"No, I will not allow you to have them, you do not deserve them," Said Sharie firmly, already preparing inwardly to take care of this loser. Adam had reached frantically for his sister and had pushed her behind him. She obeyed without hesistation.  
  
"Suit yourself." Darkdona shrugged. "And a pity, too. You have kids with you. Oh, well, attack!"  
  
With a flurry, they did, overwhelming the group in seconds.  
  
"It's Morphin Time! Gold Ranger Power!  
  
"Violet Ranger Power!"  
  
"White Aquitar Ranger Power!"  
  
Let's Rocket!"  
  
Despite the weakness of Ashley and Delphine, for this morphing was necessary, not only for self-defense, they had to help protect Jason, Adam, Anna, and the twins, who had few means of protecting them anymore.  
  
Despite their best efforts, a few of the quantrons managed to get to the defenseless inner group. Instantly, Jason flipped a tornado kick in the face of a quantron while Adam did his best to crowd the kids behind him. Gods, this was straight from his nightmares! He had never intended for Anna to get in trouble again...  
  
Suddenly Toby and Tami looked at each other for a moment, their golden eyes locking as they sent silent words to each other. They broke away from Adam and attacked the nearest two quantrons bearing down on them, completely fearless. To Adam's astonished eyes, they had obviously been taught well, their small bodies still felled the enemy quite easily.  
  
He heard Anna's astonished gasp from behind him, and he felt her squirm. Suddenly, she managed to break free.  
  
"Anna!" he hissed. "Stay by me!"  
  
"If they can do it, I can!" she hissed back, her black eyes clearly determined.  
  
"Don't you remember what happened last time?" he reminded her as the chaos continued to reign around them. "You were still snatched from us, and held hostage for two days! And the twins are two years older than you--with two year's more experience. And as much as Sharie has gotten into trouble, from what I have heard, they are used to it."  
  
Anna suddenly looked past him and gasped. Frantically, she tugged on his shoulders. "Oh, Adam, *duck*!!" she squealed. Without thinking, only sensing danger, he obeyed, just in time to avoid a swordblade from a nearby monster that would have otherwise found his neck and severed his spinal cord.  
  
Suddenly, Jason remembered. "Sharie!" he called. "What about those 'Zeo Warrior Powers?'" he asked quickly. "Do you really think they will work?"  
  
"You and Adam could try!" she called back, knocking another quantron away. "You have nothing to lose, and your friend is frantic about his sister. I cannot say I blame him."  
  
Jason nodded. Pausing, he looked inside himself. He was not sure how he suddenly knew the call, but he said, clearly, "Zeo Warrior Power!"  
  
There was a flash, and suddenly, he was standing there in a black-and-gold, vaguely ninjetti-style costume. A golden headband was tied around his head, and a sword was on his back. There were phaser pistols at his waist.  
  
"Cool," he remarked. "Hey, Adam, Morph! This works!"  
  
Anna had just struggled free of her brother again, her gaze still stubborn. He realized he would have to let her remain that way--at least until he tried these new powers. Even as she flung herself on a quantron who tried to attack *her*, he called as quickly as he could. "Zeo Warrior Power!"  
  
There was a green flash, and Adam suddenly found himself in a suit similar to Jason's only green instead of gold. There was a tomahawk-like weapon on one hip and a phaser weapon in the other.  
  
Not commenting on his new powers, he turned and felt relief to see his sister, tiny as she was, successfully knock another quantron away from her. The extra lesson she had taken were coming in handy. Still, he remained close by her side, not caring for her to be taken away again by this "Darkonda."  
  
Darkonda suddenly whipped his own phaser weapon and snickered. "I have been waiting to see how this works," he sneered.  
  
He aimed and fired so fast, nobody could stop him. He ended up hitting Trey square in the chest.  
  
Sharie froze in total horror. Oh, gods! It was a scene straight out of her nightmare last night! It had been another old dream of seeing him cut down, but this scene was identical to it! She had never felt so helpless as her brother crumpled to the ground, his staff having been knocked several feet from his hand. He also demorphed, blood soaking his tunic and spreading rapidly.  
  
Little Tami saw this and was also horrified. She ran to get Trey's staff, angrily knocking down the quantron also in persuit of the prize. She got there first, and picked it up.  
  
She was startled when she felt a sudden jolt run through her. The staff-- it seemed to be talking to her! Realizing what action needed to be taken, she gestured wildly for Toby, who came at once. She told him with her eyes, as they ran back to the fallen ranger, to help her grip the staff. He did, and another jolt shook him as well. But for this to work, they needed the power of three.  
  
Toby let go of the staff and ran for Anna. He was glad he could not hear Adam's protests as he gripped Anna's hands and pulled her away from her brother. He gestured the best he could to Anna and hoped she knew enough sign language to understand.  
  
She did. "It's okay!" she yelled back to her brother. "They need my help!"  
  
Why exactly the seven-year-old was not sure, but she did not hesisate when Toby pulled her to the fallen ranger and to Tami, who still held the staff.  
  
"Grip it," his hand gestured. She did not think to disobey.  
  
She felt the sudden jolt, and she understood why they had needed her. She was the only one left with free hands, and the power of three was needed before Trey died. Sharie was simply unable to make her way over, she was so overwhelmed at the moment, though it was clear she was trying.  
  
"Do it!" she called, for she knew what was on their minds. This would save his life, she hoped.  
  
All three children gripped the staff, and closed their eyes. The crystal took over, channeling their lifeforce through the golden powers and exposing them to the energy field that was Zeo. The renewed energy channeled down to Trey's, and healed the boy. Extra energy flowed back into the children, and a sense of well-being flooded all four individuals.  
  
Trey moaned slightly and stirred, opening his eyes. Considering the effects, he knew instantly what happened before he even saw Tami still clutching his staff, or his blood-soaked tunic.  
  
"I....thank you," he whispered at last as Tami handed him his staff. Both she and Toby flung themselves at him, hugging him tightly for a moment as Anna hung back shyly. Trey saw this and gently reached for her hand, squeezing it.  
  
"And thank you, too," he said gently. "I owe all three of you more than I could possibly pay."  
  
"I would do it again," she said softly. "No need to deprive your sister of *you* again." she smiled impishly. "Adam told me that, too."  
  
*Sharie...* the thought echoed in his brain as he scrambled to his feet and sought his sister's gaze. Being morphed, he could not see her face, but her posture was sheer frustration and agony. She dashed the last quantron in her way to smithereens before demorphing again and flinging herself at him.  
  
"I'm okay, Lalinka," he breathed, hugging her shaking body.  
  
"I know...." she said, trying hard not to cry her anguish. "But what I saw was right out of my nightmare last night....except it was Darkonda this time instead of that Dryseran."  
  
She let go of him just as suddenly as she had grasped him, remorphing without a word. Trey bit back a sigh and remorphed also, for the danger was not yet over.  
  
"Trey," she said suddenly, "the kids...when they healed you, they were exposed to the energy field. Do you suppose...?"  
  
"They could try," he answered. Anna heard this, and frowned. Could it really be possible? She saw more quantrons heading in their direction, and she gestured to Toby and Tami, telling them quickly what she thought. They all glanced at Sharie, and she nodded. Even now, Adam was headed in their direction.  
  
The three young ones closed their eyes and looked inside themselves. They did not even really need to call, they discovered, for there were three seperate flashes.  
  
Tami found herself grinning as she glanced down at herself. She was in lavendar, and a silverish-lavendar bow was in her hands, and a bundle of arrows were strapped to her back. A smaller version of the laser pistol was at her waist. She had never done archery, but this was definetly cool!  
  
Toby found himself in silver, a bo strapped to his back and another pistol at his waist. "Totally awesome," was the gesture his hands made, supplemented by his grin.  
  
Anna found her tiny body encased in pure white. Power Daggers were strapped to holsters on her upper arms, and she had two pistols.  
  
None of them could afford to stare long, for they had to duck the several whirling blades Darkonda flung at them in a fury.  
  
"Get the kids!" he snapped to his few followers left. "Take them down!" figuring they were the Ranger's weakest points, he was right.  
  
But he had underestimated their fighting skills, or their new weapons. Tami, while she had never done archery, found herself an expert marksman, and Toby's aim with the bo was swift and sure. Anna was not sure what guided her small hands when she grabbed up her power daggers and used them to their deadly advantage, though she had always been warned not to play with knives. With some basic help from the remaining Rangers, the last of the monsters and quantrons were brought down.  
  
"You will never get away with this!" he cried angrily, determined to do *some* form of harm. He managed to rush into the fray and, before anybody could stop him, he had snatched Toby from behind. Of course, Toby was not strong enough to evade his grasp, and his inner instincts warned him not to struggle, lest his throat be slit.  
  
Darkonda held the others off with these words. "Kill me, and he dies also. I do not care to leave without taking something with me." He promptly vanished.  
  
"No..." Sharie was the first to speak. Her first action was to find Tami, who was standing still as a statue, her huge golden eyes wide in terror. They glazed over as she turned to Sharie, who had demorphed.  
  
"No!" she signed stiffly. "I won't let this happen. I won't lose my other half!"  
  
Her own eyes stinging as she cast all blame upon herself, Sharie hugged the girl tightly. Getting her to look at her, she signed carefully, "Tami, right here, right now, I will promise you this. I will get Toby back. I won't have history repeat itself yet again."  
  
Tami's face was set with determination. "I want to come with you."  
  
"Tami, you cannot," Sharie started to object. "It is too dangerous."  
  
Her eyes snapped as her hands flew so fast she could barely be understood as she fought to say what her jumbled emotions dictated. "Yes, I am! Toby is my twin, my other half! I won't lose him, for I cannot live without half my soul! I refuse to follow the path of suffering you were forced to take, Sharie! Anna did not have to, I won't either!"  
  
Tami started as she suddenly found Anna's hand on her shoulder, and she looked and saw complete support and understanding in the girl's dark gaze. "I want to help also," said the child. "It is not fair that I got to go back to Adam, and Tami must suffer the loss of her twin."  
  
"Anna..." said her brother, coming up behind her. She simply looked into his eyes, and he sighed, then smiled ever-so-slightly. "Anna," he continued. "You are the best thing that could happen to anybody. Don't ever lose it. But, if you insist on doing this, then also let me help. I refuse to leave you alone."  
  
Even as the girl hugged her brother, Jason spoke. "If you need any more hands, I am here fore you, man, limited powers or not."  
  
Sharie glanced at her brother. His dark gaze bored into hers, and she sighed. "You can come," she said to Tami. "But no risk-taking, okay? I do not care to have you *killed* on top of all of this."  
  
The girl nodded, though Sharie sensed that she was mentally crossing her fingers.  
  
****  
  
Sharie was angrily pacing the Megaship bridge, and nothing her brother, Carlos, or anybody else could do could stop her from angrily casting all blame on herself and no one else.  
  
"It was my job to watch them!" she snapped when Carlos tried to tell her that nothing could have prevented it. "Those children might be ultra- smart, but they are still kids! Carlos, I cannot expect you to understand, but when I was sent away all those years ago, I knew more than what most adults would know....but I was still a kid, young and naieve in other ways, and still needing the care of a parent because I was still too little to fend for myself. I am no longer that way, but damned if I am going to let this happen to Toby and Tami!" Angry tears filled her eyes, but her iron will held them in check. They would only make Tami more upset.  
  
Her young cousin must have been lipreading her rant, for Sharie suddenly felt a small hand slip into hers, and tug on it. She glanced down on the dark-haired girl that was more sister than cousin to her. Really, she would not be surprised if the girl blamed her, either...  
  
"Sharie..." the child began with one hand. She kept the gestures simple, but her eyes were empathic. "Sharie, I don't blame you..."  
  
Without a word, Sharie picked up the trembling child and held her close, holding the shaking girl as Tami buried her face in the crook of her neck and held on for dear life.  
  
****  
  
Astronema was impatiently pacing inside the temporary hideout she had set up in another series of caves outside of Angel Grove. The needs of the Hydrohog to recover and attack again were sufficent enough that she had been forced to move so he could have better access to natural resources.  
  
Darkonda arrived with a flash, holding an unmorphed, now-struggling Toby within his grasp. The boy fought to get free, to no avail. Astronema eyed both newcomers malevolently.  
  
"Darkonda, you idiot, can't you stop snatching little kids? Why'd you take this one? I wanted those parchements, I could use that Zeo Power! The Hydrohog is not ready yet!"  
  
"My apologies, princess. The damnable Violet Ranger whisked them away before I could get to them. I was hoping we could use this little runt here as bait. He's Sharie's cousin."  
  
"I swear you are a fool, Darkonda," Astronema shook her head with a sigh. "What's your name, boy!" she snapped at Toby. All he did was stare at her, for he had not heard her and she had spoken with her head turned, and she did not look at him until after she had finished speaking.  
  
"What, are you retarded or something? Answer when I ask you a question!"  
  
Now *that* he had seen. Fury blazed in his golden eyes at being called retarded, and he scowled. He managed to wiggle one arm free of Darkonda's grasp enough to touch his ears and lips, before shaking his head, making it clear to Astronema just what the problem was. Groaning, she rolled her eyes.  
  
"Furie's Wrath, the boy's deaf!"  
  
"So I heard," sneered Darkonda evilly. "So's his twin. But all told, they are pretty smart well beyond their years, also."  
  
She smiled thoughtfully at that. "Geniuses, hmmm?"  
  
"I expect so, Princess."  
  
"Well, then," she smiled. "Maybe he could be of some use after all. In that case..."  
  
Though it had bored her to learn it, she knew how to talk to the boy. Sometimes sign language was the only way to make your demands understood...  
  
She turned to Toby again, her gestures stiff and clipped, with the undercurrent of threat. "You will tell me how to get those Zeo parchments out of the hands of your cousin, and you will tell me now."  
  
His eyes flew open in shock, and he shook his head empathically. He freed his arms enough so his fingers could wiggle, "No! I won't betray Sharie!"  
  
"You will, or you will be tortured until you do."  
  
He still empathically refused. Angry, Astronema had him bound to the cave wall with six-foot chains, ensuring he could move but not get far. She signed, "I will get to you later, then. I have more pressing matters to attend to right now."  
  
****  
  
When Andros had first learned of what had happened to Toby, he had become upset--no, insanely furious. It was Darkonda who had kidnapped his sister in their younger days, and now he had done it again! He swore up and down the bridge of the Megaship for quite awhile, muttering to himself, before Ashley managed to calm him and he noticed Tami staring at him, more than a little shocked at his extreme reaction and wide-eyed. It had not occured to him that, being Sharie's cousin, she would *not* know the story by now.  
  
Quiet now, he went and knelt before her, until he was at her eye level. Since sign language also came with ease to him as well, he signed slowly and deliberately, with great determination.  
  
"Tami, I swear to you, *here and now*, we will find your brother. I won't let that lousy bastard get away with taking any more children, ever!"  
  
She was even more surprised to see the tears filling his hazel eyes as he stared at her. Something was amiss here, she could practically feel it in the air. "Why are you reacting so strongly?" she asked.  
  
"Because," he began, and faltered. His hands suddenly refused to work, and he swallowed and spoke slowly and forcefully, so she would be able to lipread. "Darkonda, many years ago, kidnapped my sister, Karone. I have not seen her since."  
  
Tami's golden gaze went from surprise to both angry at the sheer injustice of it all, and sympathetic. She sighed. "I am sorry, Andros, I did not know. Why...why do bad things have to happen to so many good people? Anna and Adam were very lucky...they just barely escaped such a tragedy." Andros shot a questioning glance at Adam, while Anna lowered her eyes and blushed. "I knew that what I tried to do was dangerous," she confessed. "But it turned out right, in the end. That did not make it anything short of treacherous, though...for Adam."  
  
"Treacherous?" Andros repeated, not sure he really wanted to hear but unable to help himself.  
  
Adam picked up his sister protectively, trying not to let his thoughts flee to the past, to those two horrible days of terror when his sister's wherabouts had been unknown. "Gasket and Archarina," he said softly. "Back when I was a Zeo Ranger....they took Anna, for two days, and I thought I would never see her again. It was Anna's own unselfish love that brought her back to me unharmed."  
  
Andros bit his lip to avoid the onslaught of emotion that threatened to overwhelm him. So at least one family here had been spared such an occurence. "Then you are lucky," he said. "And I can see you fully realize the blessing of her in your life."  
  
Adam nodded, holding Anna even tighter as he laid his dark head upon hers. She hugged him back, grateful all at once, knowing how lucky she had been. She wondered if he remembered that she had been standing right next to Toby when Darkonda had taken him...it just as easily could have been *her*....but it did not detract from her desire to help Tami, her new friend...  
  
Something suddenly broke through Sharie's angry pacing, that something wrong was about to happen...again. She saw Ashley, who was right next to her, suddenly go sheet-white and her knees buckle beneath her.  
  
"Ashley!" Sharie gasped, catching her friend before she hit the floor. Quickly, she lowered her into a chair. "Get some water, quickly!" she snapped to TJ. He did not hesistate to obey her firm, commanding tone of voice.  
  
"What happened?" asked Jason, surprised. The girl in yellow had looked stronger than that....  
  
"Ashley was one of the Hydrohog's victims the other day," said Sharie tightly. "She is not yet fully recovered from the effects. She should never have fought at all. Speaking of which...Delphine....?"  
  
"I am fine, overly tired, but fine. I slipped away to rehydrate, and I came back to find Ashley had fainted."  
  
Indeed, Ashely was out cold, her skin was clammy, her breathing slightly ragged with effort. Sharie, with a sinking feeling, had expected this to happen. *Gods, can't *anything* ever go right anymore?*  
  
TJ came running back, bottle of water in hand. Sharie quickly uncorked it and, supporting the girl's head, forced her to swallow some. It had the intended effect.  
  
"Oh..." she mumbled, regaining consciousness. "What hit me?"  
  
"You fainted," said Sharie softly. "How do you feel?"  
  
"Like someone kicked me in the head and stomach, but I will be fine, I suppose," she grumped, but gave a weak smile. "I will be fine, honest."  
  
Alpha, standing nearby, was bent over the readouts emanating from the console.  
  
"Wait a minute, Rangers," he said suddenly. "I think I have found something...strange readings emanating from some undergound caves in southern Angel Grove."  
  
"I know those caves," said Jason suddenly. "Tommy and I went spelunking with his twin brother and Adam a couple of times."  
  
There was a flash of blue light, and a familiar voice said, "I've been there myself, when I did research often."  
  
"Billy!" both Adam and Jason grinned, giving their old friend bear hugs and slaps on the back. "How are you, man? Where's Cestria? What brought you here?"  
  
"Whoa, one question at a time. Cestria's fine, I came to help, she could not come because...uh..." Billy blushed which the shy boy still did easily. When his freinds raised their eyebrows at him, he grinned, a bit foolishly. "Uh...Cestria and I are going to be parents."  
  
It took them a moment to get over their dumbfounded looks, then they grinned. "Congratulations, man," said Jason. "You two must be proud."  
  
"Oh, we are," the former blue ranger assured him. "We had planned to have a couple of kids if it was possible, anyway." His blue gaze flickered to Tami, who was leaning on Sharie again, her expression numb and morose. "The child's brother...was taken, word has it."  
  
Sharie nodded, gently disengaging the girl's arms from her waist. Tami signed nothing, but her golden gaze flickered in protest. She blinked, startled, when Anna came up behind her and took her hand, pulling her away, her expression sympathetic. Tami did not resist, and seemed glad for the company, though two years seperated her and Anna's ages.  
  
Sharie led Billy over to the console, quietly explaining what had gone on earlier. His blue eyes opened wide when she told him about the zeo warrior powers, and she knew that, if this adventure ever got over with, he would want to examine them for himself.  
  
"And yet, Zordon gave the others the Turbo keys," he mused.  
  
"That is because the warrior powers are less powerful than the regular Zeo Powers. They would not have been enough to defeat Divatox," said Sharie. "They are best used to get out of the thick of things, and if the boys volunteer to show us the caves, then we can find Toby and finally defeat the Hydrohog."  
  
"Of course," said Jason. "But what about Toby's twin?" he gestured at Tami. "And Adam's sister? They will need watched."  
  
From lipreading, Tami had gotten the gist of what he said, and her golden gaze flashed omniously. "I am *coming!*" she signed tersely. "I do not need watched. This is my *brother* we are talking about here!"  
  
Billy raised an eyebrow. He had not known that the girl was deaf. "She cannot hear, and she insists on coming?"  
  
"I agreed to let her do it. She would not take no for an answer, and she has fighting skills of her own," said Sharie levelly. "All three children came into extended contac with the Zeo Energy field, either could call upon their own powers at this point. However, Adam, do you want your sister tagging along as well?"  
  
Before he could respond, Anna loudly gave her own answer. "I want to come! Anna is my friend now, I want to help!"  
  
****  
  
Adam gave a loud sigh. "I have no choice. I cannot drop her back off at my folks. If they knew about this they would freak out. Especially after what happened *last* time."  
  
Sharie felt her face drain of blood as she thought again of her aunt and uncle. Unless she had to, she was not going to spring this news on them if at all possible, unless she had to or Toby was safely rescued. She did not want to chance her aunt having a miscairrage from the shock of never seeing her son again.  
  
Especially since this was her own fault.  
  
"Ay-yi-yi," said Alpha suddenly. "I am picking up some more strange readings, Rangers."  
  
Andros looked at them and frowned. "Those are Darkonda's readings."  
  
"How do you know?" asked Billy.  
  
He hesistated, then with a sigh pulled a silver locket from under his tunic. He opened it, and pulled out a smaller silver disk. "I saw those same readings on the recording I have of my sister's kidnapping. When I saw that Darkonda's matched, I was completely certain that it was indeed, he, that took Karone."  
  
"Would you let me see that, Andros?" asked Sharie gently, knowing how testy he was about the recording. "I need to confirm some things, but I also have an idea, that may be helpful in locating precisely and rescuing Troy-- maybe even defeat the Hydrohog."  
  
Andros's hazel eyes flashed momentarily, and he bit his lip, warring for a moment against his privacy and the need for the greater good. Sharie knew that only Andros and Carlos had ever seen the recording, the others had come across him but had left before they had seen anything.  
  
Finally, weighing the consequences of his actions, he slipped the small silver disk into Sharie's hand. He followed her to a back console, where she slipped the small disk into the appropriate compartment. She activated the readings at the same time the recording was activated.  
  
The scene of a young Andros and a pretty little girl, obviously his sister, playing with a telekenesis ball. The ball went flying, and six-year-old Andros went to get it. Screaming was heard as a blurry figure could be seen snatching the girl, and she struggled and screamed loudly for her brother.  
  
"Andros, help me!"  
  
"Karone? *Karone!*"  
  
Andros slumped while it was playing, burying his face in his hands as the screams shook his mind and temporarily transported him into the past. He was never able to really watch as his guilt had grown, but this recording, and her ring, was his last connections with his sister, and he had to hold onto them.  
  
He jumped as he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder, and he suddenly found himself staring into Sharie's purple eyes, as they gently told him, "I understand."  
  
A shadowy figure was seen running in the trees, with Karone still crying for her brother, then the recording ended.  
  
There was stunned silence on the bridge. Everyone was too shocked by what they had just seen to say anything. Adam reached for Anna, and she went willingly as he picked her up and held her tightly. Nobody made a sound, even when DECA announced, "Recordings match."  
  
Finally, Sharie attempted to stand up, and was somehow unsurprised to find her knees like jelly and she felt rather dizzy. In an instant Trey was at her side, supporting her. Her thoughts whirled. Poor Andros! No wonder he had never shown this to anybody--it was too horrifyingly painful!  
  
Just as suddenly, she let go of her trembling brother--he had been badly affected also--to look at Tami. She was shocked by what she saw.  
  
Tami was still standing as if she was frozen, a look of total horror in her golden eyes and her hands over her mouth. Sudden tears welled in her eyes and started to trickle down her face. Her knees gave way, and she sank down on them, hunched over on the floor, her face in her hands, her slim body shaking with silent sobs.  
  
Sharie quickly went to her young cousin and gathered her up. Tami buried her face in Sharie's chest and shook like a leaf. The girl's telepathy suddenly seemed to go out of control, or Sharie's barriers were not up like they should have been, for even as she heard the girl's voice in her mind, the small hands were trembling, over and over agian, "No! I won't have it! I cannot, I *won't* let it happen to me and Toby. It must never, EVER happen again--to *anyone!*"  
  
****  
  
It did not take them long to decide how to attack. Sharie forbade either Delphine or Ashley to come along, for she feared that another attack would weaken them so severely that they would become very ill again. It was not just the jumping around that was causing the problem, it was the flow of Morphin Energy through their systems that caused such a state.  
  
She, Tami, Adam, Anna, Jason, Trey, Cassie, Andros, Corcus, and Tideus were the ones that were going along, the rest were, by necessity, staying behind to keep monitoring for any signs of the Hydrohog.  
  
Teleporting, the group found themselves a short distance outside of the caves, and they advanced very warily, aware that an ambush could happen at any time. Sticking close together, Adam holding Anna firmly and Sharie keeping a tight grip on Tami, the got closer...and closer...  
  
****  
  
Ecliptor came running. "We have intruders, my princess," he rasped upon reaching Astronema. "It is those pesky power brats. They are headed straight in this direction."  
  
"Damn. Looks like they found our location and are after the boy."  
  
"That's not all. The twin is with them, and another girl I have not seen before. I think she is that other one that Darkonda mentioned--the one he almost grabbed instead of the boy."  
  
Astronema only looked thougtful. "Hmmmm...."  
  
"Well, since the Hydrohog is very nearly ready, he is no longer here. So I am not worried about that. I might let them have the boy, but they will have to still fight for him first. Send a flock of quantrons out to them, start things a rollin'. Oh, Darkonda..." she called musically. He had very nearly ruined her plans, and her cheshire cat smile spoke of the punishment she was going to deal him....but is too gruesome to describe here.  
  
****  
  
The advancing group was harldy surprised when the quantrons attacked. They swiftly called upon their powers for defense, and were morphed several light-flashes later.  
  
Sharie and Adam were very adament this time about the two young children staying close behind them as they fought. Neither cared to risk the children getting hurt, though it was plain Tami was trying hard to fight the impulse to simply dash into the cave to find her brother.  
  
Back in the cave, Toby could clearly see the gradual approach of the others as they fought the quantrons, and he knew that rescue was at hand. He began to struggle again as he saw the others approach the cave entrance. He struggled even harder when he saw the lavendar flash of Tami's uniform.  
  
Darkonda was a bounty hunter who was not about to let any prize of his away, no matter *what* Astronema said. He unlatched the boy and held him immoble, and his mind invaded that of the deaf child.  
  
*You won't get away. You're *mine*, my boy!*  
  
To his surprise, he felt an angry response, for he had been unaware the boy had any telepathic ability. *We'll just see about that, you spiney slug!*  
  
Just then, the main cave exploded in energy as the quantrons were driven inside, followed by the Quantrons. Darkonda started to slink away, Toby still struggling in his grasp. He was unprepared when the boy stilled suddenly, took a deep breath, and blasted a very sharp whistle within the limited hearing range he and Tami had..  
  
Tami's head jerked up, and she saw Darkonda bearing her brother away. She gasped and nudged Sharie before blasting a sharp whistle back. Darkonda stopped, surprised. Meanwhile, Asrtonema had vanished and the rangers present had gotten the best of the quantrons.  
  
Tami finally knocked one over with such force--in part due to her powers-- that even Darkonda was surprised by her vhemence. His grip on Toby slackened just a fraction, but it was enough for the boy to sense it. He managed to jerk free and kick Darkonda right between the legs, making the monster howl in pain and drop Toby entirely.  
  
The boy backed away and immediately called upon his Zeo Warrior powers for protection, there being a flash of silver before his anger got the best of him and he launched himself at Darkonda, determined to pay him back for the misery he had caused. He sent a flying leap in Darkonda's face, sending him sprawling. A moment later, a lavendar and white whirlwhind, where Tami and Anna had managed to jerk free and get away from their relatives, and Darkonda felt he could not stand the onslaught of all three little devils. He was kicked again and again, and sent flying, before Anna and Toby ran in one direction, and Tami in the other, as the last of the Quantrons were vanquished.  
  
The silence resounded after Sharie had sent the last quantron packing, and everyone watched, relieved, as Tami and Toby, as well as Anna, were out of reach of Darkonda as he vanished in a huff.  
  
The twins picked themselves up off the floor for one last time, then turned and faced each other for a moment...but only a moment. Then their feet were flying as they hurled themselves into each other's arms, and Tami cried. They hugged with the desepration that twins would feel on being seperated....that any two people so close would feel upon seperation.  
  
"Let's go," signed Toby at last. "I want out of here. I think we all do."  
  
Anna grinned in relief as she made her way back to her brother, and Adam looked slightly stern as he grabbed her up and hugged her hard, before pulling back, his black eyes meeting hers.  
  
"I should say what you did was foolish," he said softly, but the look in her eyes had already convinced him otherwise. "But I would only say it because I was worried. Anna Park...I am very, very proud of you." She smiled again as he hugged her.  
  
"But should we tell Mom and Dad this anyways?" she asked. Adam snickered.  
  
"If we do, it had better be as delicately as possible."  
  
*Likewise,* thought Sharie wearily, smiling wanely as the twins hurled themselves into her arms. Usually she would not have hesistated to tell her aunt and uncle, but now....Marisha was pregnant.  
  
Darkonda was not finished yet. If he could not keep his prize, nobody would. Something materialized in the cave, and a moment later, everything began to shake.  
  
"Run!" nobody really knew who said it, but suddenly everyone was moving toward the cave entrance. The Triforians, each clutching a twin, were last.  
  
The others got out of the cave, but before the last four could, enormous boulders fell over the entrance, blocking it. Sharie could not help it, she lunged for Toby, knocking him out of the way of a rockslide. She grabbed Tami with the other hand and pushed them against a wall, onto the floor, doing the best to shield both small bodies with her own. A moment later, she felt her brother stumble down beside her, joining her as they formed a protective barrier over the children, sheilding them completely.  
  
For several minutes, the shaking refused to cease. Sharie felt like she was suffocating from the dust in the air, she could only imagine what the air was like for the children trapped beneath her.  
  
At last, the shaking ceased, and Sharie lifted her head. She looked around, unable to stifle a couple of sneezes at the dust. The children stirred as they sat up, then began to sneeze also.  
  
"At least when you two were crushing us, you were filtering out most of the dust, too," Toby grumped good-naturedly between sneezes. "Now, what say we get out of here, if possible?"  
  
Trey, using his staff, was able to levitate some of the boulders away, enough for them to get through. Each supporting a twin, they made their way over to and over the pile and outside, to the considerable astonishement to those gathered nearby, including Carlos, who had joined them when he had gotten the news.  
  
"Querida!" he gasped when she had reached him, and she gasped in surprise when he pulled her close and kissed her in front of everyone. "You really know how to bring the terror out in everyone, don't you?" he asked as he held her tightly. "We could not even find your signals. Are you okay?"  
  
"We're all okay," she said, reassuring him. "It just took us awhile to get out."  
  
"Thank goodness," he sighed before kissing her again. "We were worried sick.  
  
****  
  
Back on board the Megaship, the group found themselves having to say goodbye to Jason, Adam, and Anna. The three would have to get back before they were missed, though Tami especially was sad at having to see her new friend leave.  
  
"Trust me, we are all in the same boat no matter where we are," said Anna before Adam picked her up to leave. "I'll see you later, Tami and Toby-- just don't get destroyed in a monster attack before then, okay?"  
  
The twins laughed silently as the three waved good-bye and vanished. They were leaving thmselves, for Marek and Marisha had returned.  
  
Discussion resumed as to what to do when the Hydrohog attacked again. Another of those icy feelings was running up Sharie's spine, and she was fairly certain that the time was almost at hand when they would again be facing their unwanted foe. Zordwise, they were all as prepared as they could be. Trey had the Pyramidas, she had control of her Sphinx Ultrazord, the Lightstar Rangers had the new Voyager Zords, and the Aquitians would be taking advantage of the old zords discovered in the ocean depths.  
  
Sharie also kept an ample supply of the cure she had developed at hand, just in case anybody else fell victim to the Hydrohog's touch. This time, she was taking no chances whatsoever. She was glad the twins were safely back with their parents, and Marisha had not been too rattled when she heard the news. She trusted her neice, and she was used to the strange and unusual happening to them.  
  
Now, with everything ready, the hardest part was to come.  
  
The wait.  
  
****  
  
"There!" said Astronema triumphantly to the Hydrohog. "You are now fully restored, with a little extra power to boot. It is time you get your squishy old rear end p and destroy those rangers--all of them!" "Yeah, yeah," grumbled the Hydrohog, still sore. "I will be more careful this time--my electrons still hurt like...Maybe this time I'll tackle those five fish freaks first, then go for the rest of the power pukes later."  
  
"You won't go alone, whicever you do. I am sending a couple of other monsters with you, to make sure you finish the job this time. You won't come back to me alive if you fail me again."  
  
"Why can't I go *alone*?" the Hydrohog whined. "I have a score to settle!"  
  
"Too bad about that, baitbreath. They will be under your command, understood?"  
  
"All right, okay," grumped the Hydrohog, storming off to make last-minute preparations. "Whatever happens, those power punks are mine! I will attack in the desert, even, if it means getting my hands on them!"  
  
****  
  
Finally, the wailing sirens on the Megaship told them what they had been waiting for.  
  
"Monster mahem detected," said DECA calmly. There was a collective sigh, and everyone more or less was thinking, *here we go*.  
  
"Location?" asked Andros tiredly.  
  
"Angel Grove Desert."  
  
Sharie slumped. "Wonderful, the desert. It is a wonder he did not start up again on the Earth's water supply right away. DECA, is it just the Hydrohog?"  
  
"Negative, Sharie. Three other monsters detected besides the Hydrhog."  
  
Sharie bit her lip in frustration. "That means we have to split up and go four ways, and I still don't want either Ashely or Delphine in combat unless absolute emergency dictates it."  
  
The latter two agreed, though very reluctantly. Ashley still had a headache, and she guessed Delphine was not faring much better. The group scattered to their various Zords, preparing to take on the Hydrohog and company.  
  
****  
  
The fighting was fierce, as Astronema had already blown her monsters up to Zord size, one monster for each Zord set.  
  
The zords dredged up by the Aquitins were doing a great job battling a monster that looked like an elephant that, ironically, squealed like a mouse every time it was hit. The fighting here was pretty even.  
  
The Voyager Zords were joined to form the Voyager Megazord, huffing it out for a monster with no real defenition for it's shape--except when it chose to assume one instead of being a pile of goo.  
  
"I am called IVAN OOZE!!!" bellowed the purple guy, laying it out and sending the Voyager Megazord on it's face. "Nobody MESSES with ME!!!"  
  
Trey had borrowed the Megaship to form the Astro-Zeo Ultrazord, only the second time it had ever been formed. The Megaship added mobility to the rather stiff Pyramidas, and it was able to duke it out with a typical- looking green dinosaur monster with one unusual feature--wolverine-like claws protruding from it's back. Thankfully, the monster was not too bright, and it's fighting skills were terrible.  
  
Sharie found herself facing the unplesant task of duking it out with the Hydrohog open-handed (so to speak). Neither could gain the advantage over the other, and this made the Hydrohog furious as he tried one move after another without success, for the Violet Ranger was evenly countering them with matched moves of her own.  
  
Astronema, impatient for this to be over with, pumped even more power from the Dark Fortress into the goons out in the desert.  
  
The effects of this soon showed, as the monsters began to gain the upper hand. Sharie yelped in pain as a blow from the Hydrohog sent her zord flying, and her as well. She crashed into a nearby console, her whole body throbbing in pain. Reluctantly, she called upon the help of Ashely and Delphine, for every mind was needed to get them out of this mess and figure out how to defeat the monsters.  
  
After a little side discussion with the two, who had joined her and were holding onto the very sides of their chairs while Sharie continued to pilot her zord, they came up with a partial plan that might improve their lot. An Alpha pulse might shrink the monsters so they could be faced head-on.  
  
She did just that, watching as the monsters yelped in misery and pain, and they trembled as they gradually shrunk down to their regular sizes. Now hand-to-hand combat was in order.  
  
They met out in the open desert for the final battle. Sharie made sure that Delphine and Ashley would stay as far in the background as possible, fighting only in self-defense unless actions dictated otherwise.  
  
Andros and TJ found it near-impossible to fight Ivan Ooze. He was swift and slimy, and they cringed in disgust at the ooze that followed his wake. When TJ finally managed to knock him down temporarily, his foot got covered in the purple guk.  
  
"You ooze, you lose," he grumbled to himself. "Yuk!"  
  
Trey found himself being thrown in the air, and when he hit the ground he rolled to a stop, sore and feeling battered. He got stumbling to his feet, his patience completely snapped and his temper frayed.  
  
"That does it!" he snapped. "Time for a Gold Rush!"  
  
Sparks exploded as Trey, now half-invisible, rushed straight through the monster, shouting "Ki-yuh!" The dinosaur monster was thrown aside, but did not explode.  
  
The elephant monster, tired of attacking the Aquitian Rangers, chose Corcus and Tideus, standing together, as his next target. They immediately pulled a classic move--as soon as he reached them, they seperated and went in opposite directions, sending him crashing into the cactus they had been standing in front of, one that was especially covered in needle-like, razor- sharp spines.  
  
"YYYYEEEEEEEEEOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!" he howled in absolute agony, hands over his body filled with thorns, especially his trunk and rear end. For once, the two aquitians lost all inhibitions, and howled in laughter.  
  
Delphine was so tired she could harldy move to fight, and she was being forced to to keep the spiny-backed monster off her and Trey, as he was coming for them both by then. She was weakening, and she knew that she would be unable to stay on her feet for much longer.  
  
Ashley felt even worse. She was completely exhausted, dizzy, and she felt distinctly like she was going to lose the contents of her stomach at any moment. Just in time to avoid a mortal blow by Ivan Ooze, she sank to her knees, gasping and clutching her head. Andros, seeing how desperate the situation really was, ducked over and picked Ashley up and hauled her back out of immediate danger.  
  
Astronema, furious by now at the slowness of it all, pumped even more power into her monsters, though thanks to the Alpha pulse, she could not blow them back up to Zord size. However, things got really out of hand as the monsters began to defeat the rangers quickly, sending in blow after blow that sent the rangers more or less sprawling. Delphine collapsed also, and had to be dragged away to join Ashley.  
  
Sharie was also exhausted, and she realized that whatever Astronema had done to the hydrohog, he now had the ability to drain the strength from her body as she fought him. That was not all, the scanners on her helmet told her. Vast sources of water were disappearing all over the place. The huge clouds forming also attested to this fact.  
  
Something had to be done, and now. Two rangers were permanently down, and the others were desperately trying to protect them from the ever-advancing monsters. Sharie knew she had to act.  
  
She had only one more idea, and she had to get close enough to the Hydrohog to make it work without attracting the monster's attention to her plan.  
  
"Trey!" she called. "I need your help!"  
  
Though he desperately did not want to leave Delphine, Sharie was the only one off to the side, and she was battling the Hydrohog alone. The other three were barreling down on the other rangers. He came at once.  
  
"Distract him, if you can!" she hissed. "I have an idea, but I need my hands free and without him realizing what I am going to do!"  
  
"I'll do my best, Lalinka," he vowed. *And by Triune's Peak, I hope you are successful!*  
  
Moving stealthily away, Sharie secretly began programming her Zeo Laser Pistol to emit an Anti-Proton Hydroburst, with a few other little items that would hopefully ensure the destruction of the Hydrohog--but only if blasted at extremely close range. She would pay the consequences for getting so close, she knew. At least the shock would also cause a cascade reaction and destroy the other monsters as well.  
  
She finished just as the Hydrohog knocked her brother back and prepared to deliver a death blow. Even as he struggled to his feet, his power staff having been knocked from his hand, leaving him defenseless, a violet blur sent them both crashing aside just as the Hydrohog lunged. They hit the ground, Sharie landing on top of her brother.  
  
"I'm going in, Trey," she panted. "This is it, and our only chance."  
  
"Lalinka, no!" he gasped as he realized her intentions. "You will be killed!"  
  
"Trey, I love you, and gods knows I would hate to leave you, but this is a risk that must be taken. The blast will demorph everyone, but will also destroy the monsters if it works right. It must be done."  
  
She could feel him trembling, and he suddenly hugged her, hard. "I love you, Lalinka. May the power protect you." She was sure she caught a sob on the edge of his tone.  
  
"I love you too, Trey. Remember, we are always together here." She touched him, breifly, where the chestplate of his uniform covered his heart. She let go of him then, feeling her eyes sting as she went to complete her job.  
  
"All right, Hydrohog," she snarled. "This ends, here and now. Enough of your misery!"  
  
"You will pay for this, Violet Menace, I swear! I will kill you here and now. Prepare to die!!!" The Hydrohog had clearly had enough of her, she mused, as he launched himself at her, and they fought furiously even as Sharie was continually weakened by his power drainage.  
  
Finally, it got to the point that even a tornado blow sent Sharie sprawling, her pistol flying. The Hydrohog grabbed her up, snarling menacingly, "I don't care how much I will hurt from this, but I will see you dead! Say goodnight, Gracie!" He clamped her on her arm...  
  
The pain was worse than anything she could recall, the fire licking every nerve ending of her body, making her scream in agony even as the Hydrohog also groaned in pain, the fire from the poisonous reaction burning his body as well.  
  
Sharie did not know how she managed it, but with a last burst of strength, she managed to kick the Hydrohog right between the legs. He yelled in startled misery and dropped her. Dimly, she sensed several things, from her brother's horror and pain to the shock and dismay of the others, and the dispair by Carlos, terrified of losing her.  
  
She vaguely realized that he had not held onto her as long as he had done with Delphine and Ashley, and maybe it was the reason she could think at all...  
  
To everyone's amazement, she began to stir, as Hydrohog clutched himself with more than one kind of pain. Weakly, she groped for her nearby pistol, which was still there even though the Hydrohog's touch had demorphed her. She raised it and rasped, "Farewell, Hydrohog!" She fired, her aim dead- on. It started a chain-reaction, the Hydrohog exploding, and fire catching on the other monsters and causing them to self-destruct as well.  
  
Sharie no longer had the strength to move. She slumped again, her world going hazy the rain released from the clouds above soaking her. Vaguely, she was aware of pounding feet in her direction, crying her name--and strong arms gathering her up. It was Trey--and he was trembing so!  
  
She knew that if she died, she did not want him to follow her in death. It was very possible he would at least try. But she had no more strenght to tell him this.  
  
"Lalinka..." he whispered, holding her. "Oh, Lalinka..."  
  
She coughed, wheezing as the poison acted with sudden speed on her T riforian body, clamping her chest in a vise and the mists in her mind turing a pitch black. Another knifing pain shot through her chest and abdomen, and she gasped, shuddered, and went limp, surrenduring to the darkness that promised death.  
  
****  
  
Almost complete darkenss. She was still aware of them all, of their anguish, of Trey's, especially. She could hear his mind, vowing to follow her, he would not be left alone again...she ferverently hoped Delphine could convince him to stay among the living.  
  
She felt Carlos, clutching deseprately at her searingly-hot hand, but she could not reach him. She wished she could, to comfort him, but she could not even reach out with her mind.  
  
Fire was searing every point in her body, the burning in her chest made worse by what little oxygen seemed to be making it's way into her lungs. She felt like lightning had hit her heart as she felt it stop completely, and she could hear the frantic sounds that followed the flatlined biomonitor.  
  
If she died, she figured, Hell could not be much worse.  
  
Several more jolts re-fired her body, and she felt the burning pain as she was electrocuted back to life....only to have her heart stop again moments later. The action was repeated before she felt the hypospray touch her arm, and heard the soft hiss....and the pain lessen at last. Sharie finally relaxed....and could hear no more.  
  
****  
  
"Damn!" Roared Astronema. "Damn, Damn, DAMN!" she paced furiously. "I *knew* he could not do anything right, I just *KNEW*! But I was *so close*!" Her golden hair tumbled into her hazel eyes, so like Andros's, though she did not know this, or of Darkonda's betrayal the day of her long- ago kidnapping. She immediately set out to plan her next conquest, and to threaten Zedd and Rita in case they paid her an "I-told-you-so" call.  
  
****  
  
Trey was staring so hard into space he might as well have been suffering from color withdrawl, others mused, as he stayed by Sharie's side and did not budge. Delphine and Ashely were sleeping, physically exhausted, on nearby biobeds, and everyone let him have his space....except Carlos, who was not bound to leave her side, either.  
  
Trey blinked, startled, as he felt a sudden tug on his hand. He glanced down, shocked, as he found himself staring into startlingly clear purple eyes. Not only was she awake, she appeared lucid!  
  
"Trey..." were the first words out of her mouth. "If you ever again think about killing yourself just because I die, I swear I will..." she gave him a weak smile, even as her words made him realize that she had not been so out of it after all.  
  
"Lalinka," he choked, two lone tears stealing down his face. "How do you feel?"  
  
"Sore," she rasped, coughing. "The others?..."  
  
"Fine. Delphine and Ashley are recovering nearby."  
  
Sharie felt an impatient tug on her other hand, and she knew that Carlos had been waiting to talk to her. Trey graciously backed off for a moment as Carlos leaned down and kissed her, his eyes suspicously wet. "You gave us quite a scare, querida," he managed.  
  
"Sorry." she raised her other hand to her temple, finally noting her two IV-pierced hands. "I was not *that* bad, was I?" she asked mildly.  
  
Trey gave her a pained look and nodded, and she suddenly did not care how dizzy she might become as she reached up and locked her arms around his neck, hugging him hard. "Sorry, Trey, for causing you so much worry. I do not plan on leaving this plain of existence for awhile yet."  
  
"That is good to hear, Lalinka, it really is."  
  
****  
  
Two days later, Sharie, feeling much better, sat by Carlos watching the waves lapping gently on the water of the lake. It was sunset, and the sun was behind them, warming their backs as Sharie absently curled against her boyfriend, one arm tightly around her and the other absently stroking her hair. He seemed uneasy about something, and she wanted him to say it. WIthout moving, she voiced the thought in his mind. He sighed and took a deep breath, glancing down at her for a moment, taking in her pale face, and the fact she had some weight to gain back after the past several days. Should he even tell her? But something told him not to hold back.  
  
"Trey was not the only one who wanted to die the other day when you went down," he confessed quietly. "I wanted to also, Querida. Facing life wtihout you--" he pulled away enough to look into her eyes. "I am not sure I could do it. I have never been sure since you came into my life five weeks ago."  
  
"Carlos..." her hands framed his face gently. "Should I ever die, I would want you to go on. You are young, and I do not want your life cut short because of me, just like I would not want Trey's to do so. I told him as much. I would want you to find somebody else, if possible, and not be alone."  
  
"I could never love anybody but you," he vowed, tears in his eyes. "You die, Sharie Jeanette Triesta, and you take my own soul with you. I won't have it to give to anybody else."  
  
At the look in his eyes, she leaned up and kissed him, gently, trying to absolve his mind from this problem, and she felt a slow fire as he gently started to kiss her back.  
  
"Querida..." he groaned. "You are not strong enough."  
  
"Nonsense," she mumbled. "We may have forever, Carlos, but there is no time like the present to get started."  
  
Somehow, it absolved his doubts, and he gathered her fully to him, kissing her hungrily and sliding one hand behind her knees, the other behind her back, as he scrambled to his feet, her in his arms.  
  
****  
  
Where an adventure begins, it often ends. Delphine curled against Trey as they watched the prismlike effect on the cave walls of the same undergound cave. His arm was around hers and his head rested atop hers. He was quiet, and she could not blame him. Five weeks had passed since he and Sharie had first been reunited, and she had little doubt that while that had been one of the best things to happen to him, during that time also both had been ripped asunder many times by old wounds, pains, and hurts, and new ones had been created, so many that she doubted he had, in the past, not recieved this much pain or joy in the past five weeks than he usually did in a year or more. Their lives had had many major upheavals as they struggled to get used to the rapid changes, and somehow she doubted it was over yet.  
  
As soon as Sharie had convinced him she was strong enough to get around on her own--it had taken her awhile, too--he had come back to Aquitar with Delphine. It was only then that she had discovered he also had a penchant for nightmares, but he did not talk about them, and she could not bring herself to question him. It was a painful time for both siblings, and she could only do her best to help him adjust to the most recent upheavals. She loved him too much to lose him, and she had little doubt if Sharie had died, she would have had a very hard battle to keep him with her. Both her and his sister were the two sole factors Trey could not live without anymore.  
  
She felt his hand idly run through her hair, and she sighed and drew closer. They were stubborn, though, and death would not overcome either easily, she was certain.  
  
She went gladly when he pulled her up so he could kiss her gently. Tonight was a peaceful night for lovers, and she was going to show him that a renewed faith in that trust was well worth it. 


	8. Dimensionally Ripped

Legal Disclaimer: I guess it's Buena Vista, a subdivision of Disney, that's doing the Power Ranger distribution thingy now. Story number eight in the From The Stars series.  
  
I do not blame you one bit if you mostly skip this story. Thank goodness it's a short one, but no matter *what* I've done to it, it still deserves the title "Beware Mary Sue story". The idea sounded good at the time, but...well, it's one time my ideas could not be translated adequately to paper in any reasonable way.  
  
I *promise* the next story, Viral Downfall, will more than make up for this one!  
  
In other words, I hated it, and I'd scrap it except for the one storyline feature I cannot alter: Zordon makes his debut in this story, and in a fashion that's critical later on.  
  
The "Last Message" scene in here was inspired by Ellen Brand's touching scene from "Ashes to Ashes" and she has my gratitude and thanks for letting me borrow the concept.  
  
Crossover By ZeoViolet Teaser:Everyone thinks Sharie is dead...and she is not so sure herself she is alive.  
  
Sharie Triesta toyed with a strand of her hair as she watched the effects of the pulsing, fiery-hot ball called the sun come up over the horizon. A breeze was up, taking the rest of her hair and blowing it in long waves down her back to her hips, the light from the sun reflecting in her purple eyes and making them dance. She felt a presence behind her, and inadvertently, a smile tugged at her lips as her brother, obviously awake and dressed also, slid onto the bench beside her and put his arms around her, pulling her close. She leaned against him, and they were silent, letting the sunrise work it's magic.  
  
It had been a week since the defeat of the Hydrohog. Since then, as Sharie had recovered from her own encounter with him, Trey had gone back to Aquitar for a couple more days and then attended a diplomatic function on a distant Triforian outpost. On the way home from it, he had dropped by Earth to see her, and had ended up staying the night.  
  
Sharie glanced down at herself. By now, she hardly showed the ravages of the Hydrohog's attack, she had regained most of the weight she had lost, and the violet shadows beneath her eyes had faded completely.  
  
Her brother had taken the emotional rollercoaster the recent adventure had cost them pretty hard, and suddenly Sharie was struck by an unplesant thought. What if she really *did* die? She very nearly had a week ago, and it had taken all of Trey's willpower to keep his head, and she knew that he had seriously considered following her if she had not regained consciousness.  
  
Of course, the life of a Power Ranger was very dangerous, any time one of them could be easily killed. All of them had been shot down and brought near the brink of death numerous times...but had always survived. But...what if one of them did not come back at all? What if she lost Carlos for good? Or Trey, for that matter?  
  
Once she had realized what her brother had contemplated when she had been cut down, she had warned him she would not appreciate him trying such a stunt, and that she would prefer him to live on...but would he? She wondered if he would completely hold onto his sanity, going nearly insane with greif and pain. She knew that if she had to face the same situation, she would not care to live either. Last week was not the only time he had had to face this, and he had suffered badly each time, and bearing permanent emotional scars that plunged far deeper than the average joe could imagine, for he stubbornly swallowed his pain and did not show it, or let it free easily. It was the one really bad trait he shared with his sister. Indeed, both were prone to instead throw themselves into work to try and bury it all in the name of duty.  
  
Of course, if somebody should die, their friends would be devastated by the news, and would be full their own grief at losing a friend. But they would also have to accept that their teammate was gone for good. Sharie tried not to remember the dream she had last night, that warned of impending danger on her part....and she was even now getting icy chills up her spine that never failed to warn of danger on it's way.  
  
She must have made some indication that her thoughts had taken an unplesant turn, for her brother suddenly turned her face upwards to look into her purple eyes.  
  
"What is bothering you, Lalinka?" he asked gently, searching her gaze with his own dark eyes.  
  
She was not sure she should tell him, but the insistent look he gave her had her responding guiltily. "Trey...what would you do...I am not sure how to say it." She buried her face in his chest. She could not tell him about her dream, or of the iciness in her spine. He knew of these already, and he would hover over her too much.  
  
"What is it, Lalinka?" he prodded quietly.  
  
When she finally found her tongue, she had to force herself to say the words. "Trey...how would you feel...what would you do if....if I were killed in battle? You know how dangerous our lives are..." she was not able to finish.  
  
"Lalinka, what a question," he sighed and hugged her tightly. "You bet I will be devastated. You are my sister, and we have a closeness few can ever claim to posess, little sister. I don't think I could stand it again thinking you were dead. You already made me promise not to do anything drastic should you die..." he shuddered. "I might be deperessed for a long time, that is for certain. But if you are referring to the fear of my going mad with grief...I will strive to assure you I will not--if only for your sake."  
  
She held onto him tighly as well, her head still buried in his chest and her voice somewhat muffled. "Trey...if anything happens to me, and I don't come back, promise me you will do something."  
  
"What is it, Lalinka?"  
  
"If, for some reason I am killed, or die one day...go to the waterfront painting in my room and look behind it. Take what you find there and read it. Do as the instructions say to do. Okay?"  
  
"I hope I won't ever have to, Lalinka, but...okay." He shivered as the breeze sprang up, and continued idly stroking her hair as the sun filled the horizon and came up completely.  
  
"Thank you, Trey. It means a lot to me." For some reason, tears filled her eyes. She knew, she just *knew*, that something was going to happen, soon, very soon. She could just feel it.  
  
****  
  
Later that morning, Sharie, out of boredom and a need to move, was showing Trey the sport of basketball. Her adoptive father had showed her how shortly after she had arrived on Earth, and she had fallen in love with the game. Now she showed her brother, and was amused by how quickly he caught on to the concept of slam-dunking a ball into a hoop with a net. At the height of the game, however, her communicator went off.  
  
"Yes?" she said into it, tossing the ball to her brother.  
  
It was Carlos, her boyfriend. "Sorry to bother you, Querida, but we need your help. A bevy of monsters is in the park, and they are quite literally ripping us to shreds. Care to come, Querida, and bring your brother if he is still hanging around?"  
  
"We are on our way." A worried frown crossed her face. Carlos was rarely so tacky when he was this serious. It must be bad.  
  
When they arrived at the battlefield, they found the other Lightstar rangers desperately trying to hold off several monsters that were threatening to tear them apart. Sharie and Trey immediately joined in the fighting, helping to beat the attackers off their friends. Through the various sounds of "oof's", "ow's" and "ki-yuh's", one monster with blue spiky armor over black....skin--if it could be called *that*--stepped forward and boldy announced, "All right. Which one of you is the famous Sharie Triesta?"  
  
Sharie started, then flung another monster off of her, kicking it in a certain place that made it bellow in agony. "What's it to you?"  
  
He scowled. "Considering your tone and color, I assume that is you. Simple, my dear. I, unlike the rest of the losers here with me, am here at the request of not just Astronema, but also of a deceased old friend of mine. Do you recall the name Dark Dresden?"  
  
Sharie was instantly angry--and on alert. She had expected this to happen sooner or later...  
  
"So, you undersized, underbrained bag or armor?"  
  
He pointedly ingnored her insults. "Dark Dresden, in the even of his death, had he not found and killed you by now, had me swear to take over the job. It took awhile for word to reach me, but here I am." He drew a sword. "You have a choice. Surrender now, and your friends live, or a fight to the death, and they die. But somehow I doubt that the former choice is readily yours," he sneered.  
  
"Then why bother?" she replied haughtily. "Tell you what, metalhead. I'll fight you, but you have to leave my friends out of it...completely."  
  
"A fight to the death?"  
  
Sharie glanced at the others. Several were emphatically shaking their heads.  
  
"How about if I make your choice a little easier?" snapped the monster, hurtling a bomb of some kind on the ground. Their was a brief explosion, and suddenly everyone but Sharie demorphed.  
  
"The forcefield will block all signals but yours. I am up to a fair fight, so I am letting you stay morphed. Now, a fight to the death, or do you all perish anyway?" As he said this, all the rest of the monsters closed in on the others, making sure they could not escape.  
  
Sharie made her decision. "To the death," she agreed.  
  
"Then draw your sword," he commanded, holding aloft his own.  
  
Sharie drew her Zeo Power Sword, and soon, clashes of metal were heard by the others. The monster was an excellent swordsman, his self-discipline and skill at least equaling that of the Violet Ranger. For a long time, each stood their ground, neither gaining the upper hand. Then, Sharie was startled to hear the monster mutter some strange words, and he was suddenly able to slip in and cut her on the side, making her collapse.  
  
"You-you enchanted your sword," she gasped in pain, holding her hand over her wound to stifle the flow of blood. The wound was not too deep, she realized, or her death would have been swift from that point.  
  
"And what if I did? Both Astronema and Dark Dresden's spirit will be glad to see you gone. Of course, however, I cannot deny you the pleasure of seeing your friends killed first, can I?" he snickered. He turned and bellowed an order to the other monsters. "Destroy them!"  
  
They swiftly moved to obey, drawing weapons and beginning to fight the now- defenseless rangers, who could not stand up to them in their unmorphed state.  
  
"No!" Sharie exploded. Summoning all her strength, she raised her hand. "Violet Power Staff!" she called. The weapon appeared in her hand, and she ignored the burly monster as she fired several shots at the other goons, who fell back at her onslaught.  
  
The armored monster was outraged. "You'll pay for that!" he snarled, turning up the frequency of the forcefield so that Sharie also demorphed. He began attacking her also, with his sword. Now defenseless, she had a hard time keeping herself from being fatally cut, ducking, whirling, and suffering several knicks on her arms and legs. She knew she had to act fast. Finally she levelled a special, deadly kick to the monster's solar plexus, causing him to go into fatal shock. As he groaned and collapsed, she did not stop. She grabbed his field generator and turned it off so the others' morphers buzzed back to life.  
  
The armored monster, though dying, was not done yet. "I will have my revenge, here and now," he gasped. "This should destroy you...once and for *all*!" With the last of his strength, he pulled lose a weird object, which was what appeared to be a dimensional ripper, almost always deadly to humanoid tissue. He flung it at Sharie, who unfortunately was still unmorphed.  
  
The rangers were nearly deafened by the explosion as the device tore a brief hole in the fabric of space and the delicate balance that kept other dimensions from intruding on this one. When it faded, they regained their equilibrium, but their minds did not want to accept the horror of what just happened.  
  
The Violet Ranger was gone.  
  
There seemed to be no way she could have survived a device like that. Such dimensional rippers were swift and sure. The armored monster died with a satisfied grin on his face.  
  
Fury and pain made the group tear into the remaining monsters like never before, and they were soon destroyed as a result. They then demorphed and went over to where Sharie had been killed. There was no sign of her, none whatsoever, no body, nothing.  
  
But the place was also eerilie silent, save for the wind whistling and the sun suddenly beating mercilessly down on their backs.  
  
The thought finally began to sink into the stunned group that one of their own had been killed...and was not coming back. Tears began to trickle down Cassie's cheeks as the realization hit her first. "No...she can't be gone, she *can't* be..." she sank to the ground, crying over the loss of a close friend.  
  
Carlos was unable to keep his face dry, either, despite his shock. *She was dead!* His girlfriend, his true love, with whom he had shared body, heart, and soul, and so much more....he loved her so much, and now the most vital part was gone forever.  
  
Waves of agony and the hottest pain he had ever felt ripped through him in tidal waves, and he crossed his hands over his stomach as the pain became physical. He stumbled over to a boulder and leaned against it, and cried unashamedly for a moment, his mind still violently rejecting what had happened.  
  
Finally, he inwardly tightened with the bitter resolution to avenge her death by *whatever means necessary*, and his hands and teeth clenched with the effort. A small part of him warned him that this should not become the only reason for keeping his soul intact, but he ignored it for the most part.  
  
Ashley was softly crying on Andros's shoulder, and the boy in red also had a wet face, though he showed no other outward sign, his face numb from shock. TJ was much the same.  
  
And Trey...Trey stood as if he were frozen for a moment, utterly numb, his mind instantly rejecting over and over again what he had seen. He was too numb to cry, or he was refusing to give into his pain, the heartfelt anguish so deeply shadowing his dark eyes. Only that and his trembling lips betrayed the fact he was in desperate pain and a major part of him was trying hard to break free, to scream out his rage, his frustration, his grief...but he could not let it out.  
  
"I...I think we ought to make sure..." was all he was able to choke out.  
  
They forced themselves to make a thorough search of the area, the last of any hope dissolving when they still found nothing. There was no sign of the girl, none whatsoever. It was like she had never existed.  
  
Her family, adopted and blood related, were devastated by the news. Her pregnant Aunt Marisha became ill, and her husband, though upset himself, truly feared his wife would go into premature labor and miscarry the baby, for Marisha was only in her fourth month. The twins, Toby and Tami Lynne, simply held onto each other, cried, and did not sign one word.  
  
Her mother, Jeanette, went silent, retreating to her rooms on Triforia, to mourn the loss of a daughter she had been reunited with such a short time ago. Unlike her children, she was not the type to keep it all pinned up inside of her. She cried and raged throughout the night.  
  
Trey wanted desperately to forget his promise he had made to his sister not to join her in the herafter. Only knowing how much she would disapprove, and how much others would be crushed if he did, kept him from doing it. He also forced himself to keep another promise.  
  
****  
  
After that long, horrible night when he had not slept at all, in fact, he had walked the grounds until dawn, Trey was completely exhausted and even more numb with grief. He went into her room, careful not to disturb anything. He found the waterfront painting she had mentioned to him, and he gently removed it. Laying it aside, he peered into the wall behind it.  
  
There was an opening in the wall, and he found a letter addressed to him there, as well as a holographic emitter. Picking up the letter, he fought tears as he read it.  
  
My Beloved Brother, Trey:  
  
If you are reading this, I must be gone. I am so sorry to put you through so much agony, Trey. I had a dream last night that I was facing my own mortality, and if you read this, then I was right in knowing I was probably going to die.  
  
I never meant to do this to you, or anyone else who I have come to love. Please try to hold onto yourself, for my sake and yours. Take this disk out to the lake in the backyard. Bring the Lightstar Rangers with you, for on this is my personal last messages to each one of them. If they are unable to come, make copies of it and have it sent to them.  
  
I love you a lot, Trey, and I will always watch over you, this I promise. Be happy with Delphine. I know you two were meant for each other, and I know you know it too.  
  
All my love,  
  
Sharie Jeanette Triesta  
  
A half-sob escaped his lips, but it was the only outward sign of his grief, as he still could not cry. Trey clutched the letter to his heart as he absorbed her words. *You will watch over me, Lalinka?* he thought, miserable. *That is the first comforting thought I have had in this darkness of despair. I will always remind myself you are there.* His eyes strayed to the photograph of him and her as a five-year-old girl, taken shortly before she had vanished from his life then. She had somehow still managed to have that picture with her all these years, and it held a prominent place on the wall. The purple eyes of the five-year-old girl seemed to suddenly stab at him from beyond the grave, reminding him of everything that he stood for...or should.  
  
****  
  
In some other dimension....  
  
*Ohhh...where am I?* Sharie thought, waking up. She appeared to be in a cave, but she could barely see. It was so dim she could not even make out the outlines of her hands. She was very sore, covered in the cuts inflicted upon her by the ugly monster she had killed. They no longer bled, she was sure none were serious. She felt tired, exhausted, as if her lifestrength was being drained away.  
  
And yet, she did not feel hungry. Somehow, she sensed that she did not need food or anything else here, some force was keeping her alive by other means.  
  
The creepiness of this place was unsettling, like a calm surface of a black lake, while underneath boiled evils of unimaginable horror. She could hear her blood rushing in her ears as her heart picked up pace, breathlessly waiting for something horrible to happen and sensing she would not be disappointed.  
  
Then it hit her hard, a sense of terror, like she had never felt before, ripped through her, rushing on her like a cold wind. Oh, gods, was she in hell? Was she dead, and her soul damned? She stifled a scream as she sank to the ground beneath her as the silent furies seemed to set about to destroy her soul.  
  
*I have got to get out of here, got to get back. They are probably all dead by now, but I have still must go back....*  
  
Then the hallucinations began, ones designed to fill her with terror, pain and guilt beyond her wildest comprehension or anything she had ever known in her terrorizing past. It was what this placed seemed to be planned for. She did not know what she had done so terribly in life to be condemned here, and she almost cursed the diety that landed her here.  
  
Images, sounds, chills, feelings of terror, hands clawing at all parts of her body and replaying the worst scenes from her past over and over again.....it did not seem to end. Voices kept saying she had killed all her friends and her brother, and she was forced to feel it's truth as she screamed her denial. Pictures of Dark Dresden thanked her for joining him here, and he saw that she was now no longer a child, and his hands reached, reached out to try and fondle her, to rape her, and she tried desperately to refuse to give in, taunting her that he had sworn to do this to her one day, and now he would... She could never leave this place. She was here for all eternity. Her terror had just begun.  
  
****  
  
It was indeed a melancholy group that gathered later that day on the beach of the lake to hear the recording. Silence reinged as Trey activated the emitter, and they saw it was a holographic version of Sharie herself, wearing the clothes she had worn the morning of the attack, before she had been killed. There was a message for each of them.  
  
"My friends, if you are listening to this, then I must be gone. I want to say this first and get it over with, I am sorry for leaving you all, and I urge you all to not worry about me. I am still in your hearts, and I promise to watch over you. I have little doubt our spirits will meet again.  
  
"Cassie, you became one of my closest friends in a very short time. No matter what, girl, hold onto your dreams, whether they be of the future or for love. They just may come true."  
  
Cassie choked back a sob, her eyes glittering, but she said nothing.  
  
"Ashley, you are such a strong person. But learn to do what I often had trouble doing, and that is letting out your grief and pain a little more. Same goes for you, Andros. Don't let your stubbornness get in the way of your happiness. You and Ashley should have a long life together, and if I were to have a list of requests, one would be that you two live live to the fullest. Andros, I have no doubt that you will find Karone soon. Don't give up."  
  
Andros and Ashley hugged, hard, and Andros, though it was silent, finally started to cry.  
  
"Carlos, you were the love of my life. You hold my heart in your hands, and I love you so deeply it hurts, and I mean it when I say it goes well beyond eternity. I am so sorry we could not build a life together. Try to find someone else someday, I could not bear the thought of you living your life out alone. Trust me, though, we will meet again. Don't become a miser because of the despair over losing what we had together. Trust me, we have not lost it. It will alwyas be there, just waiting to flourish again in the next eternity."  
  
Carlos buried his face in his hands, nearly choking on his tears. She had his heart, and she claimed he still had hers, even in the afterlife. But what would he do with it, if she was not there at his side to fuel it, make it glow with what made her special?  
  
"Teej, what can I say about you? Your cheerfulness helped me out many a time, and few could dare ask for a better friend--or a better comedian. You have a bright future, and I urge you to follow the stars. Just one thing--find a permanent girlfriend. I noticed recently that Hannah has been following you with her eyes, but she is too shy to say anything. Do me a favor and ask her out, will you?"  
  
A laugh escaped his lips despite his sadness, and suddenly TJ felt just a *little* bit better.  
  
"Trey, my brother, I love you beyond all reason. Please, don't lock yourself up over my death, and remember the promise you made. I could not stand it if you made yourself sick over my death. Reach for the stars! Our special bond will always be there, even in death and beyond. That I wll promise you. Build a life with Delphine, your true love. You dserve it. Mention me to your children occasionally, and remember, we are always together in our hearts.  
  
"I love you all, guys, and I will miss you terribly. All I ask is that you think of me in a good light, and do not forget me. No one is truly dead until he or she is forgotten."  
  
****  
  
A week passed in abject misery for all involved. Carlos cried himself to sleep each night. How could he find another person to love, when Sharie had taken his heart to the grave with her, and after all they had shared? It was a thought he could not fathom in the least, and he did not want to, ever.  
  
Trey still locked everything he felt into his heart. He barely kept himself from going crazy at times. He lay awake for several nights, doing nothing but shake with the efforts to control his raging emotions, refusing to give into them, and withdrawing once more behind the impenetrable barrier that had held him in place when his sister had first been kidnapped. He grew dreadfully pale, and though he remained muscular, he lost weight, and had dark shadows beneath his eyes from lack of sleep.  
  
Jeanette, after she could cry no more, emerged from her rooms to find Trey back home on Troforia. Shocked at his condition, she held onto him tightly and finally extracted a reluctant promise from him to take better care of himself. She could not bear to lose her last child, as well. Trey barely complied with this promise.  
  
****  
  
How long had she been here? She was not sure. Time had no value here, they saw fit to torgure her at their leisure, and surely she had been here for years now. The hallucinations did not come all the time, there were periods of abject silence, when all she could hear was her own breathing and the beating of her own heart, driving her crazy with lonliness and figuring it was just another form of torture she had to endure because she could not seem to die. She was also thinner and weaker, despite the fact she did not need to eat here. Her grief came from her loss, of the ones she loved, for she was convinced they were dead. That was why she was losing weight. Why should she care, when they were all gone as well? Maybe this was not hell, if she was losing weight and she could still feel most physical sensations this way. But if she was alive, where was she? Was it even possible to get out of this hellhole?  
  
*Child*.  
  
Startled, she rasied her head, rising up partially from her curled position on the foggy floor. Was it the beginning of another wave of hallucinations, or was it just wishful thinking?  
  
*Child, I am here. Do not despair.*  
  
No, it could not be a hallucination. None of them ever had the ring of the side of good to it. And the strangely booming, mental voice was not quite like anything she had ever before heard.  
  
*Child, you are caught here, you do not belong here.*  
  
"I know," she whispered aloud. "I should not be here. But...who are you?"  
  
*For now, it does not matter. Do you wish to leave?*  
  
*I do not care to stay in this place.*  
  
*Perhaps I can help you, you are a mortal child and can go where I cannot. Close your eyes and focus on the ones you love the most. You belong in your own dimension, and I will try and send you home.*  
  
Desperately praying that this was not some other cruel illusion, Sharie obeyed. Even if she was going back to a land with no rangers left alive, she would avenge them.  
  
She felt a fiery flash, and was blinded.  
  
****  
  
The megaship bridge was crowded, everyone was working morosely on various equipment. Trey had gone on some mission or other several hours away. To their surprise, the place began to shake, and the group scattered to try and make sense of what whas going on.  
  
Suddenly, a brilliant violet light could be seen, and to Carlos's astonishment, Sharie came out of nowhere and landed right at his feet, with a small "oof" as she crashed to a stop on his toes.  
  
"S--*Sharie*?!!" he gasped disbelievingly, grasping her shoulders--she felt real, and solid, he barely noted--and turned her up to face him. "Sharie? Oh, gods, you are alive!" He could not believe his eyes. "Where have you been...we all thought you were dead..."  
  
"How can *you* be alive?" she cried back in shock, her complexion white as she reached up to touch his agony-shadowed face. "I though you had all been killed..."  
  
She could speak no more as Carlos gathered her up, crying, and she held onto him tightly, trying desperately to keep her emotions under control. They were alive! It felt so good to hold onto Carlos again. Carlos, his face by now soaked with tears of gratification, bent and kissed her with such passion she kenw she was home at last.  
  
The rangers gathered around, hugging her and alternately laughing and crying, telling her the whole story, though she did not say what she had experienced. It was something she never wanted to talk about.  
  
"Where is Trey?" she asked weakly. "How....is he?"  
  
Carlos and Andros looked at each other, exchanging glances. It was only when she poked him that Carlos told her everything, from how Trey had reacted to what he was doing now. Andros was trying to get into contact with him already, but it would take him a couple of hours to get here.  
  
When Andros finally got Trey on the other line, he was shocked by how the boy looked, like Death himself, Trey was so pale and the shadows under his eyes so dark.  
  
"Trey, she is alive!" he gasped out by way of greeting. "She is back!"  
  
Trey blinked, uncomprehending for a moment, before it dawned on him what Andros had said. "What? How is that possible? Nobody could have survived- -"  
  
"I don't know *how*, she just did. There was a flash of light and she came out of nowhere. She was in another dimension, all told."  
  
"How does she look?" Trey choked.  
  
"She is thinner and paler than we saw her last, but I think she is physically okay otherwise. Emotionally...it is a different matter. She misses you terribly, and while she was gone, something gave her the impression that we had all been killed, including you. So she is rather shocked."  
  
"I will be there as soon as possible." Andros could tell the young Lord of Triforia was fighting tears again--this time of pain and relief mixed.  
  
****  
  
Until he came, Sharie spent most of her time with Carlos, absorbing what had happened and the pair renewing the love they felt for each other.  
  
Carlos held onto her tightly for a long while, just thankful she was alive and he *could* hold onto her again.  
  
"What happened to you in there, Sharie?" he asked gently.  
  
She stiffened. "Terrible, horrifying things. I don't want to talk about it."  
  
"Querida, in your final message to us, you told us not to keep things bottled up inside, and I know you have a terrible habit of doing it, but I beg you to not do so now."  
  
"You saw that? I know you are right, but..." she reached up and gently brushed his wet face. "I am just not ready to tell about what I saw yet. It was too much of an emotional shock and strain. But I will tell you how I came to be out of the place."  
  
"How?" Carlos asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.  
  
"It was a strange presence...a bit of good among all the evil of the realm. I could tell he was a transdimensional being, it was probably sheer chance he was there among the infinity of other dimensions in existence. And somehow, I still sense him, even here. I get the distinct impression he is trying to contact me, but I will have to concentrate to find the exact frequency. But--later." She suddenly turned and kissed him with such fire he felt every neruon in his body shut down, and he responded to her lips as though they were life itself.  
  
Carlos stopped because he was afraid that after all she had been through, she would not have the strenght to keep it up. He pulled her head onto his shoulder, and absently ran his fingers over her ribcage, where he could feel the bones there all too clearly.  
  
"How did you become so thin?" he asked, worried. "You look as bad as Trey-- he lost weight because he has been so depressed. You are even thinner than when the Hydrohog attacked you."  
  
"Same reason," she answered somberly. "I missed you all so much, and I thought you were all dead, why should I live? There were times I was certain I was dead anyway and had merely been transported to Hell. I just sort of pined away."  
  
Carlos did not press further. All he could think of to say was, "You, Querida, go to Hell? Trust me, I doubt, I seriously doubt, that you are destined for that place." He was quiet after that, simply held onto the girl he loved and stroked her curly golden head. And there they stayed for a long while.  
  
****  
  
When Trey was due to arrive, however, she went home to await him in privacy. Her emotions were growing out of control, and were in such turmoil that she needed to be alone with him, for it was bound to cause a big emotional scene, and she was not sure how much longer the protective shell around her emotions would stay before it gave way.  
  
She waited for him where she was sure he would come--on her bench by the lake, the sun at her back as it started to go into the afternoon hours. When the golden flash signalled his arrival, she stood as it coalesced into one spot right in front of her, and the pale form of her brother took shape before her eyes.  
  
She had been warned, but she was still shocked at his white face and violet- shadowed dark eyes, the skin of his face drawn more tightly over the bones than usual. Gods, *what* had happened to him...  
  
Dark eyes met purple ones, and for several moments, all he could do was stand two feet away from her and stare, desperately drinking in her image to reassure himself that what he saw was real. His dark eyes, like hers, wer full of pain and anguish, and yet now joy and relief also.  
  
Looking into his bottomless eyes, the sheild around her emotions finally gave way. She did not care that his did as well.  
  
Trembling, he reached out to touch her, the smooth wet skin on her pallid face feeling solid beneath his fingertips, finally convincing him that this was no illusion. If it had been, he would have died.  
  
Tears rolling down his face, he gathered her close and held onto her as if he would never let her go, crying harder than he had ever before done in his life, his frame shaking with slient sobs. Sharie's own thin frame was the same way. The flood of tears finally began to release the burden of suffering over the past week.  
  
Eternity seemed to pass, before he finally pulled back with a deep sigh, staring at her, drinking in a sight he never though he would see again--at least not on this plain of existence. Gently, his fingers touched her forehead, and slid down over her face, her wet cheeks, her trembling lips. Her skin felt too tight over her high cheekbones, and the violet shadows beneath her eyes were dark, like his were. And he definetly did not like the pasty color of her normally light-olive complexion...but for the moment, that hardly mattered as he was actually *touching* her, she was actually *here*, and alive. He could feel her heartbeat at the base of her neck when his hand stopped under her chin.  
  
"You knew, then?" he whispered, choked. "You knew that this would happen, that you would....well, all of us would think you dead?"  
  
"The dream, Trey...the icy chills....I am never wrong when I feel it..." she whimpered as he pulled her close again.  
  
"What happened?" he asked in a choked, low tone. "What hell made you come back to me this way, too thin, exhausted, and completely hanuted?"  
  
She started to shake, hard. "I--I cannot," she stumbled. Gods, she could not even *consider* reliving those horrific images again...  
  
But he held her tightly, and patiently waited. Somehow he sensed that it was all to close to the surface, and she was actually desperate to get rid of it.  
  
And she was. Despite her best intentions, it hit her hard, and simply spilled out of her, the relived horror sweeping through her body again as she clung to him and cried. He found he was shaking, too--but with rage. Gods, how had she kept her sanity? Her will to live--even for awhile? How had she even survived the ripper in the first place, since rippers were notorious for ripping humanoid flesh as they arrived at their destination. Maybe it had malfunctioned....  
  
Sobbing into his shoulder, she at last came to the part of her mysterious benefactor.  
  
"He is still trying to contact you, Lalinka?" he asked, dumbfounded. "Are you sure you have never met him before, or did he seem at all familiar?"  
  
"I...I do not know," she stumbled, trying to think as she dried her eyes. "He...was transdimensional, I think. His mental tone was huge and booming. Because of the light, I could not see him exactly....but mentally, I sure heard him. I guess he sounded almost...Eltaran, I suppose. I guess...well, he sounded rather sad, as well, lonely, but I don't think he sensed that I sensed that out of him. But he probably sensed my mental powers were strong, because he is still trying to contact me. I must get in touch with him again, but I was going to do it after I had gotten some of my strength back."  
  
Her brother absently brushed a lock of her ringlet curls off her pale face. "I will be there when you do it, Sharie, I promise. I contacted our mother just before I came. She was overjoyed to hear the news, but she was at her own diplomatic function--much further away from mine, burying herself in work. She won't be able to get back until tomorrow, even at top hyperush."  
  
Since it was now dark, Sharie and Trey went indoors, but the talking, once started, did not cease for hours, and when it did, night found themselves curled on the couch, and neither cared. They were so exhausted, from days without sleep, that not even nightmares could penetrate the deep, black void that caught them within it's grasp.  
  
When Sharie awoke, she knew instinctively that it was at least nine o'clock the next morning, and she had slept at least eleven hours. She had almost never slept so late except on the rare occasions she had been ill.  
  
She snuggled in her brother's embrace, becoming vaguely aware that he was also awake, for his heartbeat, directly beneath her ear, was the faster pace of someone awake but relaxed. Memory of the past several days came flooding back to her, and her eyes filled with tears for a moment. She did not want Trey to ever let her go.  
  
"You can stop pretending to be asleep, Lalinka." His voice rumbled gently from above her, and his arms tightened fractionally as he moved slightly.  
  
"How'd you know I was awake?" she mumbled, not opening her eyes, but feeling a distinct pain in her stomach.  
  
"Your stomach gave you away, I'm afraid. Mine is, too. That is what woke me up first--but I could not bear to disturb you after what you had gone through. I expect neither of us thought about food last night--or the past couple of days."  
  
She figured that for him at least, it was probably true. She would not wonder if he had forgotten how to really eat altogether.  
  
"Time to fix that problem," she said as she reluctantly got up and let him pull her toward the kitchen.  
  
****  
  
When she had questioned him about when he actually *had* eaten last, she knew, before he even said it, it had been at least two days. She groaned and made him eat carefully, lest either of them throw up what they had swallowed.  
  
Afterwards, they went outside, wandering by the small basketball course that had shown the beginning of their last adventure. A flash of orange caught her eye, and she wandered over to pick up the basketball, turning it in her thin hands as she glanced up at the hoop in front of her. Impulsively, she made the shot--and Trey saw her really smile as it landed in the hoop with a final *thump*, and bounced on the ground.  
  
Yes, she was truly back.  
  
****  
  
Jeanette was due to arrive at any time, and Sharie was too tired to walk the beach waiting for her. She frequently leaned against her brother for support when they walked anywhere, and he sort of done the same. They had awaknened at nine only to fall asleep at ten-thirty, and awoke an hour later. Sharie felt her stomach rumble again already, but she ignored it. How could she be hungry, when she had stuffed herself earlier?  
  
Trey seemed to sense what she was thinking, for his lips quirked in amusement. "I hardly think cereal and toast was stuffing ourselves, Lalinka. And the first time in days I felt hungry, and you would not let me stuff my face lest I get sick."  
  
"It seemed a lot to me," she smiled gently in amusement.  
  
"It did at the moment, to me also," he reminded her. "But I suspect our stomachs shrunk. My waistline certainly has, and yours too. Your clothes don't seem to fit right."  
  
"Thanks a lot," she grinned, a real smile this time, though his words rang true. Her jean pants--even in summer, so her thin legs would not show-- were loose around her slender waist by at least two unhealthy inches. Slender was slender, and she, like the others, had a model's figure, but she had always been genetically somewhat underweight. Any true weight loss was not healthy.  
  
Her brother's clothes, too, were loose on him, and the belt at his waist had an extra hole in it. It had not detracted from his muscular frame, but where he should have a little extra padding he had none, and he could not afford to lose any more without becoming seriously sick.  
  
Tiredly, Sharie flopped down on her favorite bench, and he gladly joined her as she leaned back, soaking in the sun's rays and closing her eyes. Her pale skin welcomed the lifegiving light she had been denied, and it was already obvious the sun was doing her some good.  
  
A sudden sense made her sit upright suddenly, and she stood, and grasped for her brother's hand, startling him as she pulled him to his feet. She glanced upward, seeing a gold-violet streak enter the atmosphere to coalsece before them.  
  
Jeanette shimmered into existence, tall, pale, her own purple eyes haunted. Her hands were crossed over her chest, as if hugging herself, and her lips trembled as her vision came into clarity, the swirls of shimmering light fading.  
  
The woman was sure she had not seen a more glad sight that greeted her, seeing her beloved children before her, in one piece. Especially her daughter! Thinner, maybe, and awfully white, but alive!  
  
This time, Sharie did not freeze as she crossed the few steps into her mother's welcoming arms, her brother following suit as the Triesta family reunited at last, under the pulsing rays of a world not their own.  
  
For several moments, they clung, and Jeanette cried softly, knowing that this was truly a miracle. It seemed that if her family was going to be restored her, it should stay that way!  
  
****  
  
The last thing Sharie wanted was to tell her story again, she was not sure where she got the inner strength, but she did it. Jeanette was as horrified as her son had been, and Sharie wondered why Jeanette did not demand she return to Triforia for awhile. She sincerely hoped her mother would stay, since Jeanette had never really been to Earth as yet to visit, and Sharie wanted her mother to form an opinion.  
  
Later that afternoon, Sharie went with her mother and brother to the Megaship to set up the experiment she had in mind, to attempt to re-contact the entity that had been responsible for her returning to the land of the living, and to those she loved the most. While she was attempting this, she was going to be carefully monitored by her friends, since they wanted to make sure that whatever had been done to her did not have strings attached, and possibly place her in danger again.  
  
Andros finished adjusting the monitor by the biobed as Carlos helped Sharie onto it. The boy in red lifted his head and nodded at the pair. "It's ready."  
  
Carlos gave Sharie an encouraging smile and she felt her fingers being gently squeezed. She gave him a slightly nervous smile in response as she laid down. Trey was on the other side of her, his hand finding her other one as she felt his encouragement radiating from him.  
  
"I am ready to begin," she said. Andros nodded as she closed her eyes.  
  
****  
  
In order for the mind to expand, to roam, to explore, it should be, if at all possible, as clear as possible. The first thing she did was shove her telepathic sheilds up as high as she could to drown out the empathic noise she would otherwise received continually, and inviting her mind to go blank, black, a dark void without noise or interruption.  
  
She felt herself relax, and knew it was working. She was no longer really aware of the others standing around her, she needed every bit of energy to concentrate on the faint thread in the back of her mind, the faint white thread against the blackness, the one that had been there since she had tumbled through dimesions yesterday in order to return to her own.  
  
She felt it, found it. She concentrated upon it, letting her mind span dimensions in a way she had never before thought possible. She imagined the white line growing wider, the mental linke growing stronger as she sought to bring it closer, louder, so she could hear thoughts on the edge of the telepathic link, faint whispers that were not really legible.  
  
She dared to try and send her first thought directed at the link. *Are you there?*  
  
There was a sense of surprised exclamation, as though the awareness....had not really expected such a response.  
  
She tried again. *Are you there? You helped me once, are you still there?*  
  
A thoughtful silence before she finally got an answer. *I am. So you are powerful enough, I guessed so, but I was not sure.*  
  
The link was fainter than the one she had felt in the other dimension, but the booming mental voice was just as deep, just as imposing. She felt as if she should know it somehow, but she could not place it exactly.  
  
*Thank you,* she sent next. *Thank you for sending me back.*  
  
*I did what was right. I do not deserve thanks.*  
  
Sharie was somehow aware of her physical body drawing in a deep breath. *Who are you?*  
  
****  
  
Andros frowned at the readings he was getting. He had never seen such types of brainwaives before. "Where is her mind? I have seen telepathic brainwaves before, and I have never before seen them like this."  
  
Trey let go of Sharie's limp hand to look over Andros's shoulder. "Sharie has a rare talent, even among our people," he said softly. "Though some of us who can do it consider it a curse. Those are the brainwaves of someone whose mind can travel and expand dimensions if it must."  
  
"A curse?" Carlos lifted his head, looking thoughtful. "Is that the real reason why Sharie rebells against using her own telepathic ability so much? Is it that much torture for a telepath?"  
  
"It can be," said Trey, looking at him steadily. "Trust me, it can be."  
  
****  
  
There was another silence lingering after her question before the entity graced her with an answer. *I believe I can trust you. I cannot use any telepathic frequency other than this one, Dark Spectre might think something was up. I am called Zordon.*  
  
She gasped mentally. *Zordon? The Zordon, of Eltare? But you are...missing, trapped by...*  
  
*I know why I am this way, child. What is your name, since I found you wandering where you do not belong?*  
  
*I am called Sharie Triesta. My brother is Trey, Lord of Triforia.*  
  
She felt a bit of skeptecisim on his next message. *But how can that be? I heard that his sister had been killed, years ago.*  
  
*I did not die. You never detected me, but I grew up on Earth. My powers prevented you from detecting me.*  
  
*Powers?*  
  
*The Zeo Violet Ranger Powers.*  
  
*I understand,* he sent. *If you are a power ranger, child, then you must know the other rangers of Earth.*  
  
Inwardly, she shivered at the hint of sadness she felt on his mental tone. Wherever he was, he was often alone, lonely.  
  
*They are beside my physical body even as we are linked now.*  
  
*That is good. I sensed you had some strong mental powers, so I stayed in the back of your mind hoping you would do this, try and get word to the Power Rangers. Dark Spectre is even now slowly planning a large-scale assault, to conquer, to dominate. You must be warned.* There was no doubt of his urgency. If he said so, it had to be very dangerous.  
  
*Where is he keeping you?*  
  
His mental sigh seemed frustrated. *If only I knew. He usually keeps it a secret even from me. But beware his attacks, he is evil, and is planning many different ways to undo you Rangers. I wish I knew more, or I would tell you And thank you, my young friend. Whatever happens, I will never forget you. Now I must leave, before they detect my transgression. Goodbye."  
  
The mental link snapped from her mind so fast she almost reeled. Her thoughts were whirling as she forced her mind back into the confines of her body, so she could feel herself again. Zordon! Zordon! Of all people, it had been the legendary Zordon!  
  
When she felt her heart pounding in her ears again, she knew that she was back. Her eyes fluttered open, and she blinked at the bright light, lifting a hand to cover her eyes.  
  
"DECA, please dim the lights," she heard Carlos say as if from a distance. "Sharie, how do you feel? Did you--"  
  
"Yes," she whispered faintly as she tried to sit up. "You won't believe this, I scarcely can myself, but it was Zordon. He was hoping I would contact him, for he felt he had to pass on an important message."  
  
****  
  
"We must find him," said Andros a short while later, after Sharie had finished her story. "Zordon may be a valuable ransom piece, but Dark Spectre is draining his energy, Zordon cannot last forever this way. Sooner or later, he will meet his demise in the hands of this villian if something is not done."  
  
"But what *can* be done?" Ashley almost wailed. "Every time we have tracked him down, he is gone again. Dark Spectre has been keeping him on the move, going from planet to planet. And the rumors keep on flying. The last time he was seen was Hercuron, the last he was heard from was when we were tracking Throion particles weeks ago!"  
  
"We can't give up, Ash," encouraged Andros. "Somehow or other, this will end, and we will be there when it does. I personally *promise* this!"  
  
Sharie pushed her hair out of her face as she sighed tiredly. "Since he managed to contact me before successfully, I have little doubt he will try it again if he feels he must. He gave us a valuable warning."  
  
****  
  
Carlos's fingers wove through hers as they walked the beach alongside her lake. By the next day, color had returned to her face, to his relief. When she had still looked like a ghost, he had still been afraid, somehow. Now he was reassured, even though her thin hand, her whole body, needed to again recover from the ravages of inflicted evil, not to mention her mind, though she still did not talk about it. Maybe it was not something she could do.  
  
A breeze sprang up from the lake, and he hugged her closer, pushing back the wisps of her curls that fluttered gently against his face. Inadvertently, he smiled as her arms slid around him, and she stopped suddenly to hug him tightly in a spontaneous gesture of trust she rarely afforded anyone.  
  
He cuddled her close in response as he heard her murmured whisper. "Thank you, Carlos," she said fervrently. "Thank you so much for being there for me."  
  
"Why should I not be?" he said gently. "That heart that thuds beneath your chest, Querida, the one I can feel right now, might as well be my own, we are so tightly linked. I have to take care of it, don't I?"  
  
Her fingers slid up to bury themselves in his hair, and gently, teasingly, she toyed with the silken strands. "Of course you do. Aren't I worth the effort?" She smiled, softly laughing at his momentarily taken aback expression.  
  
Blinking, he made a fast recovery. "Almost," he teased back. "It is worth it to hear your sense of humor returning." His own hand slid beneath her golden curls to lightly massage the back of her neck, one of the places he had come to know that drove her completely wild with sensation.  
  
Initially, he had meant it only to tease, but her inhaled gasp drew his attention, and she tugged his head downwards. Their lips met in a blaze of fiery sensation, and he forgot what he had been thinking about, his hand catching the nape of her neck and the other arm snaking around to catch her slender waist, nearly crushing her against him as the kiss deepened, becoming desperate as with the pressure of his lips, he managed to open hers, his tongue almost ruthlessly invading her mouth.  
  
She gasped as his hand made it's way under the sweater she was wearing-- even in the hot summer--to span her bare back, rubbing deeply and gradually upwards as she lost herself completely to the ecstacy, not caring when his hands came into contact with her too-prominent ribs. She couldn't think, she didn't want to. At times like this, she never wanted to think again.  
  
Neither did he. He knew she wanted this as badly as he, and he also knew that she would not let herself be drawn in this far if it were not safe. His mouth still ruthlessly ambushing hers, he caught her in his arms, sweeping her up and carrying her toward the house. She made matters easier by dreamily reaching for her teleporter button, instantly transporting them to her room.  
  
He did not seem surprised when they materialized. For a moment, he just stood there, her in his arms and feeling that nothing in the universe felt more right, or in place.  
  
She broke off the kiss at that moment to give him a hard hug as he lowered her onto her bed. "Yo te amo, Carlos," she whispered ferverently.  
  
"I love you, too," he whispered back, kissing her lips gently. 


	9. Viral Downfall

Legal Disclaimer: Buena Vista it seems is currently distributing the Power Rangers. Story number 9 in the From The Stars series. This is one of my absolute favorite in this series. Hopefully it'll make up for the last terrible story I wrote. Starhawk owns the concept of Color Withdrawl, as she coined the phrase first. I own any non-canon character in this series not claimed by Saban or Buena Vista or whomever.  
  
Ten happy points to whomever can tell me where I got the name Clara Sutter from. Hint: Her imaginary friend became real and scared her pretty badly. Enjoy!  
  
Viral Downfall by ZeoViolet Teaser: A virus threatens the Rangers, and a new character from both Aquitar and Triforia is found.  
  
"You want to go *attic* exploring?" Carlos asked, a bit incredulous, one rainy afternoon on Triforia. "Leave it to you, Querida, to want to indulge in places I would not think you would go."  
  
"Aw, don't be a spoilsport, Carlos. Besides, it's Mother's idea. She is going up to look for something or other, an old knicknack or somthing. I know you're curious."  
  
The Hispanic boy smiled wryly, shaking his head. "I know how obsessively neat most Triforians are, Querida. Your whole attic in this huge place must be dustless and organized."  
  
"Hardly," she laughed softly, pulling him along as they followed her mother to the attic stairs. "The only time anyone goes up there is to put up dustcatchers so the place does not become so buried in dust it has to be shoveled out. There are things up there that probably have not been disturbed for hundreds of thousands, even millions of years."  
  
She was aware of him gaping at her, and he was silent the rest of the way, except to hear him mutter, "In that case, this is something I have to see."  
  
****  
  
He had never seen an attic so huge. The Royal House on Triforia, which had belonged to the Royal family for at least ten million years, had been added onto over the eons, and more space constructed, due to an old custom of every new family building it's own quarters onto the place. As a result, the house was huge and sprawling, making a mansion seem tiny, and the attic having countless hidden corners and turns. Carlos wondered if they would get lost.  
  
"This place is bigger than a castle," he grumped good-naturedly. "I'd hate to wander off and never be found."  
  
"Nonsense," Sharie assured him. "You'd be found sooner or later."  
  
She grinned wickedly at his open-mouthed look, and took pity on him. He was right, it *was* dim up here, and despite the dustcatchers, there was a thin layer of the stuff on everything. "At least the attic won't get any bigger. The old custom of new rooms for each newlywed couple or baby is dying out. We have by far too much space. And as for the light, I can take care of that."  
  
Sharie sensed her mother's amused smile as she held out her hand and uttered some odd sounds. She had more magical knowledge than Trey, but sorcery was not a real interest of hers.  
  
A white light appeared in the palm of her hand, a small but bright glowing ball that magically lifted itself into the air and lighted the whole section of attic they were in.  
  
Jeanette grinned as she uttered the same spell, and an identical ball appeared above her. "Well, kiddos, I am going to search for that statuette. You two go ahead and explore. You may find things I never found, certainly there is enough stuff here to keep a Triforian busy looking around for centuries," she joked as she started off around a twisty corner of the attic, and her light soon faded after her into the dimness.  
  
Sharie turned to Carlos, and he was amused to see her purple eyes were as bright and eager as a young child's. You would not have thought she had been through the hell of an evil dimension, ending just a week before. "Well, Carlos, what shall we look at first? I feel like a three-year-old again."  
  
"You have no objections to my touching stuff?" he asked as he moved to a dark white form, which was something covered by a sheet.  
  
"Not at all," she said as he tugged the sheet away. "Just be careful about what you touch--oh!" she exclaimed as he revealed a magnificent stone sculpture of...something.  
  
"What the heck is that?" Carlos asked with frank curiosity. It looked like some animal, but none like he had ever seen before. It sort of resembled a cat with feathers for a mane, wings, and a feathery tail, but with a cat's face and slanty eyes.  
  
"I don't know exactly," she said. "It is so...wait, here's an inscription." She raised her hand, and the light obediently bobbed closer just above them as the two crouched down to take a look at the inscription on the pedastal.  
  
It was in Old High Triforian, and Carlos was plesantly surprised that he could understand some of it. He had been picking up on more of Sharie's language than he had realized.  
  
"From what little I understand, this creature was..." Carlos peered closer at the odd symbols, faintly noting the similarity to words he did understand, and ventured a guess. "...observed in a....that word is either jungle or forest."  
  
"Jungle," she corrected, smiling. Carlos was pretty smart. High Triforian was one of the hardest languages any intergalactic traveler could learn, and Carlos was picking it up as if it were Spanish, his other tongue besides English. "I recoginize this creature now. He is an Oobot, and he is supposed to be a myth, prowling our unknown jungles. Maybe he is real after all. It says here this was carved by my great, great, great, great, and about six more of those, Uncles, over a million years ago."  
  
Carlos whistled. "And to think that at that time, my ancestors were still struggling with early stone tools and walking upright. Gods, Sharie, I have never seen a civilization as old as yours."  
  
"We are not the oldest. There are some in this galaxy that are four billion years old. This galaxy is about ten billion."  
  
Carlos shook his head as he tried to comprehend this. "Then I expect humanity is just a baby civilization, no?"  
  
"In the cosmic sense, yeah, I would think so."  
  
They came to an old trunk, and Sharie brought the light closer to examine the name on the lid. "Vanessa Triesta! That was my grandmother! Mother's mother," she elaborated. "She died of some unknown ailment ten years before I was born, so I never knew her, but from what I understand, she was a lovely woman, both inside and out."  
  
Easily she manipulated the controls that locked the trunk, and the catches sprang open. Carlos sneezed as the dust rose when Sharie hefted the lid open.  
  
"Bless you," she said automatically, waving the dust away with one hand and peering inside.  
  
It seemed full of knicknacks which Carlos could see no use for, except for a decorative purpose. They found old clothes, strange ones that Carlos thought fascinating, though Sharie blushed as she lifted out underwear and shoved it aside. He chuckled at her red face and she shot him an irritated glance.  
  
"Oh, sure, laugh. Those things should have been tossed with her death, not stored away. Someone was negligent. I can just imagine your grandchildren exploring your attic one day and finding your boxers and girlie magazines you forgot to toss out."  
  
"Sharie!" he hissed, embarrassed. "I outgrew those a long time ago. I am no longer fourteen and curious about what a woman has!"  
  
"But did you still remember to toss your old copies so your mom would not find them?" she squealed softly as he tossed an old pair of gloves at her. "As if Triforians do not have them...or do they?" he asked, curious all of a sudden.  
  
Now it was her turn to blush again. "Well...no, not exactly in that sense. We don't need to, thank you."  
  
"Not allowed?" he teased. "Or immoral?"  
  
"Neither," she said, and an almost wicked glint came into her eyes. "We don't need that to keep up our reputation of being insatiable."  
  
Carlos blushed again and lowered his head. *That* he knew all too well...  
  
****  
  
Next Sharie pulled out an old photo album with a picture of a woman on the cover. Carlos peered closer, the woman was exotically beautiful, he noted, with Sharie's hair and face, for the most part. The one startling difference was her eyes, which were the darkest pitch-black, rather like his own. "Is that her, Querida?"  
  
"The same."  
  
"She's beautiful. She looks like you, except for the eyes."  
  
"Most of the people in my family have had either blue or dark eyes, sometimes green. The purple color Mother and I have is quite rare, usually only appearing every four or five generations to only one kid or two. So while she was rather expected to have it, it was a shock when I did."  
  
Carlos nodded absently as they leafed through the album, finding pictures of people he did not know, more of this woman Vanessa, and, to his amusement, finding baby pictures of both Jeanette and Trey.  
  
In a few pictures of Jeanette, he noted a handsome blonde boy with similar hair and facial features. "Who is that? Her brother?"  
  
"Right on. That was my Uncle Tayo. He died rather young, without marrying or having any children," said Sharie, her tone quiet in respect for the deceased. He was only two years older than mother, and neither Trey nor I ever knew him. And Vanessa never had any other children besides Mother and Tayo."  
  
"Speaking of young," said Carlos thoughtfully, "Your birthday is in a few weeks, isn't it, Querida? Yours and Trey's both?"  
  
She nodded. "Yes. I will be eighteen, like you, and Trey will be 2,518."  
  
"I still don't know much about Trey's habits, but I have the perfect gift for you," he teased. "Just wait and see. But...what would someone like Trey like?"  
  
"Carlos, after a Triforian reaches adulthood, birthdays are celebrated more by special dinners or something than gifts. If gifts were given every birthday, after fifty thousand years, a typical house would collapse under the strain of trying to hold it all. Every few years, something is usually given, but to generally say that the person is more important than a mere trifle," she smiled wanely. "But still, when a gift is chosen, it is chosen with care. I know what I am getting him. He won't expect anything of you, and neither will I."  
  
"I will follow human custom this time, Querida," he said seriously. "What does he like?"  
  
"Music," she said immediately. "Human music he is fond of, classical or soft rock, or country. Or romantic. No hard stuff."  
  
Carlos nodded quietly as they went on sifting through the remanents of a civilization that to him, was still extremely ancient. Sharie's family line seemed to be so long, he wondered if it went back to the beginning of her civilization itself.  
  
****  
  
Elsewhere in the dusty attic, Jeanette had come upon another of her mother's trunks, and could not resist the temptation to sift through it. She wondered often what it was exactly that had taken the life of her mother twenty-eight years before.  
  
She sifted through old knicknacks absently until she came to the bottom of the trunk, when her fingers hit something hard. She waved her hand so the light came closer at her beck and call, and placed both hands in the truck again, feeling a wooden box with a smooth grain, and carvings around the end. She hefted it out, it was not very heavy, and pushed her long golden hair out of her face to peer at the box, which she had never before seen and could not remember.  
  
She saw that there was an envelope attached to the top of the box, and she felt a sense of shock run through her. The name on the box was in english, and it was her own daughter's! Printed clearly in her own mother's hand were the words, "To only my granddaughter, Sharie Jeanette Triesta."  
  
A wave of coldness ran down Jeanette's spine as her thoughts began to whirl. No way! Her own mother could not have known about the birth of a granddaughter ten years after her death, not especially since Jeanette herself had been thought sterile.  
  
The only reason she could think of was that her mother, like her granddaughter, was one of The Ones, the few Triforians with mental powers far beyond that of a normal Triforian. But Jeanette could not recall any memories of her mother having prenomonitions or abilities to predict the future.  
  
And the handwriting on the envelope was clearly Vanessa's lefthand, elegant script, and nobody but her had ever really touched that trunk. Jeanette peered closer at the lock, and was startled to see the symbol of the Violet and Gold Rangers etched into the front of it. Her mother had been the only one besides her herself who knew she had found the Zeo Violet Powers those years ago. This seemed to seal what Jeanette saw.  
  
Jeanette sighed, forgetting all about what she had come up here for in the first place. She gathered up the trunk and started out in search of her daughter.  
  
****  
  
"Are you truly sure?" Sharie asked in astonishment as her mother finished her explanation and pushed the box into her hands.  
  
"Pretty much so. Open the envelope, Sharie, so I won't burst of curiosity and concern."  
  
Sharie shrugged and obeyed her mother, pulling the envelope off the top of the box and opening it, pulling out the paper, which was clearly her grandmother's elegant handwriting.  
  
"My dear granddaughter, Sharie Jeanette Triesta,  
  
"This may come as a shock to you, for I am writing this while I know you are not yet born, and will not be for another ten years. I could not reveal this to my daughter, your mother, it is too easy to alter the future this way, and the chances of your birth could have been drastically reduced.  
  
The reason why I know of this....oh, the things I have seen, child!...I am writing this as I am dying. Your mother brought in this man one day, an intergalactic traveler, to cheer me up, and I was dying even then."  
  
Jeanette's eyebrows rose, and her eyes misted. "I remember," she said softly. Sharie nodded incrementially and continued reading.  
  
"This man had several interesting objects with him, including a strange, odd-colored crystal which glowed faintly. He encouraged me to hold it. Foolishly, perhaps, I did....and I was flooded, almost literally swept away by images from the future. I saw, oh so many things, I cannot begin to describe.  
  
"Anyway, child, that is how I knew of your impending birth, my dear, and of the inevitable pain that would come with your kidnapping and subsequent events, including your mother's imprisonment. But I could not tell her this. It was dangerous and I knew it even as I saw it.  
  
"Other things I saw, and/or I did not understand, or cannot be repeated. The future I saw can be only if nobody alters it. After the man left, I knew what I had to do. I knew this box would find it's way into your hands one day. Open it and read the contents in private, please. After you are through with it, only then do I ask for you to share it with others close to you. My reasons for this will become clear soon. And thank you. From what I have seen, I am already proud to be your grandmother."  
  
Love, Vanessa Ayla Triesta, Former Lady of Triforia  
  
Total silence reigned after Sharie finished reading the letter aloud. Everyone was too surprised to move. It was Carlos who managed to speak first.  
  
"Sharie, your grandmother died ten years before your birth, no? What did she die of, old age?"  
  
"Why, no, she was only around 200 when she had my mother. She should have lived about another 27,000 years. She died...well, nobody knows what illness took her life. She was on a long, unknown space voyage when it affected her, and she told no one about what had happened, where she was, at least that was what I heard."  
  
Jeanette's eyes filled with tears. "That is all I knew. She knew she was dying, she would hardly let a doctor look at her, and not closely. She came home to die, and that was all."  
  
Carlos's communicator beeped just then, and he rasied a hand for quiet. "This is Carlos."  
  
It was Andros. "Time to go, Carlos. Let's get those samples in and get gone."  
  
Carlos sighed. "On my way in a minute, Andros. I'll be right there." He lowered his communicator with a sigh and leaned over to kiss Sharie briefly. "Duty calls, Querida. Take care of yourself, I should be back soon. Just sample collection. Routine, I think. Good luck."  
  
"Bye, Carlos, I love you," she said as he flashed out in a wave of sparkly black. She looked forlornly at her mother, and Jeanette put her arm around the girl as, with Sharie holding the box, they made their way downstairs.  
  
****  
  
While her mother went to find her son and tell her of the discovery, Sharie went to her room and locked the door. She went over to her bed and summoned her Power Staff, holding it close to the box to make the catch spring open. It worked, and she was able to lift the lid.  
  
Inside, she found a diary, to her surprise, with over a thousand pages of her mother's fine handwriting. She had a feeling she was supposed to read this, so she opened it and started to do so.  
  
Soon, she almost wished she had not, as an incredible secret lay exposed before her very eyes. What she read filled her with so many emotions she almost became dizzy. She was not one to cry at sad or happy movies or books, but what she read within the pages of this diary filled her with so many emotions...delight, wonder, pity, and incredible, unbearable heartache. Without even realizing it, Sharie, who was usually very controlled over her emotions, had tears rolling heedlessly down her face. She did not notice as she obsessively read each and every page of the diary.  
  
*Oh, Mother!* she thought as she came to the end at last. *No wonder Grandmatai wanted me to read this first! It is so shocking, so sad, that I am crying...and I never knew her! What would her own daughter say to this?*  
  
She still had tears rolling down her face when her worried mother and brother came to the door, wondering what was up. She admitted them, and they were shocked to find her on her bed, clutching and old diary and sobbing her heart out.  
  
Trey was immediately concered, and he was over there at once, pulling her close. "Lalinka, what is the matter? What has made you cry like this?"  
  
"Th-this," she quivered, indicating the diary with a trembling hand. "This diary. Mother it reveals a chapter of Grandmatai's life no one ever knew about, not even you." Sharie scrubbed at her eyes with one hand while she opened the diary with the other, fumbling with the pages. "She wanted me to read aloud certain pages to both of you, and she begs that you will understand, and do what she wants us to do. Let me begin to read...it starts less than a year before her death, while she was on that deep space mission." Clearing her throat, she started to read aloud the first indicated page.  
  
*Flash*  
  
Wednesday  
  
I have finally arrived at an outpost so distant that few have ever heard of it. It is well into unknown space, and it is called Aquitana II. The inhabitants of this colony are from the planet Aquitar, from a distant water-world. This planet is quite capeable of supporting their rather extensive need for water, yet it is compatible with my DNA as well. How I curse our Trifold problem, the danger of our Unity of Beings splintering! I do so wish somebody would find a way to at last rid us of the constant worry, however small it is.  
  
I have met a really nice Aquitian man named D'tara, a supervisor. he is incredibly sweet, though quiet. I can look into his eyes and see his soul... he has the most marvelous dark eyes. He is a cousin of Delphine, the leader of the Aquitian Rangers on the Aquitar homeworld. I met the girl once when I was on a diplomatic mission...a marvelous young woman. D'tara is remarkably like her, he even looks like her. I think I will like it here...  
  
A month later, Tuesday  
  
I just got back from underwater exploring with D'tara. He is one great guide. In the month I have been here, he has become my closest friend. We have been doing everything together, if possible. We are so close now...could it be what I am feeling for this remarkable man be going beyond friendship? I will have to see...  
  
A month later, Friday  
  
My life is bliss. Ever since falling in love with D'tara, my world has been very, very happy in a way it has not been since my husband died eons ago. Last night, for the first time, D'tara and I made love. Despite our differences, cultural and all, do I have a future with this man? My life has not been this complete in a long time...  
  
A month later, Monday  
  
I have shocking, absolutely shocking news to tell. I never thought it could happen,not between an Aquitian and a Triforian. But it has.  
  
I am going to have a baby.  
  
D'tara's baby.  
  
I am already two weeks along, it seems. I ignored my nausea and cravings a little too long. When I found out, I did not know whether to laugh or cry. I did a little of both, I guess. When I told D'tara, he looked surpised...then delighted. He picked me up,swinging me around until I got dizzy. Tears were on his face as he asked me to marry him. My answer, a screamed, "YES!" was loud enough, I would not wonder, for the whole colony to hear.  
  
A week later, Monday  
  
I am writing this in the middle of the night. Tonight has to be one of the most wonderful nights of my life. I married my D'tara today, and this is our wedding night. And with a baby on the way...I am rarely so happy.  
  
I have only one concern.  
  
What will my family, my daughter, think? And my grandson, Trey? I have not told them yet of my affair. This place is so remote that, unless it is an emergency, they make formal contact with Aquitar once only every three years, because of the energy it takes. Hopefully, knowing them, they will understand....  
  
Two months later, Thursday  
  
Oh, I feel so weary. I so dislike being confined to bed, and I feel so ill. My pregnancy is not going well. Often I am in pain, and they are desperately trying to keep me from miscarrying. But I have two more months to go....thank gods D'tara has been so kind, gentle, and caring to me! The love I see in his eyes runs deep, and it will last, even beyond death. He still desires me, even as I grow big with his child. Tired now....  
  
Two months, Saturday  
  
Finally, it is over.  
  
I am a mother again, for the third time. It has been so many melennia since I have been pregnant, almost 23,000 years since I gave birth to Jeanette. I had almost forgotten what it was like to go into labor and endure the pains.  
  
My pains started in the middle of the night, strong and sharp. D'tara about panicked, but he got me to the hospital with his head on straight. My labor seemed to last forever, and they were worried that the baby's head was too large to fit down my birth canal because of the aquitian characteristics the baby had. But at last, near dawn, I finally pushed my daughter out into the world, and she signaled her arrival with a loud cry.  
  
As I held her small body, I beheld a tiny face that pefectly matched my own in every way...except, of course, for the Aquitian features everyone around here has. The other surprise I got was when she opened her eyes, and I was greeted with brilliant purple eyes, just like her sister's.  
  
Just then, I missed my other daughter so much, tears stung my eyes. I decieded to keep a small part of my first daughter with me, in my new daughter's name.  
  
Her name is Shayla, Jeanette's middle name.  
  
Our joy in her is boundless.  
  
A month later, Tuesday.  
  
I am so ill I can barely write this. What I felt during my pregnancy with Shayla...won't go away.  
  
Nobody knows what's wrong. My fainting spells are getting worse. I may have to return home if this keeps up...but what about my new family?  
  
Two weeks later, Wednesday  
  
I am home on Triforia.  
  
I am dying.  
  
Whatever it is I have...it is killing me.  
  
D'tara and my precious little Shayla...they are not with me. The journey would be dangerous for them...and they could not teleport. They probably would have a hard time living on Triforia.  
  
Leaving them was the hardest thing I have ever done. I was hoping I would go back as soon as I was well. Now, it seems, it cannot be.  
  
I will never see my precious baby or my beloved husband again. Looking back at these written words, it seems so final, and it is.  
  
I have still told nobody of them...it hurts too much.  
  
It will be my deathbed confession. I hope I can say it.  
  
A week later, Wednesday  
  
I cannot confess like I had planned.  
  
What I saw in that crystal...if I tell, and my daughter is brought here, she will die in an upcoming war nearly sixteen years from now.  
  
I cannot let that happen. I won't lose my daughter like I did my son!  
  
If I say nothing, my girl may live. I don't know that for certain, the crystal did not show me. But my future granddaughter I saw....  
  
Sharie, you are reading this, I know you are.  
  
Please, if you can, find my daughter. You deserve to know her. Jeanette, if you truly understand, help her find your sister. Also, find her father, D'tara. Delphine will know, she is my grandson's woman by now, if what I saw was accurate. D'tara will know I am dead, I have arranged for a message to be sent to him, an "old friend", announcing my departure to the afterlife. I do not want to lose him, my true love, but I cannot stay. I feel the other side calling me. I will miss everyone.  
  
Godspeed.  
  
*Flash*  
  
that was all, the last indicated page. Sharie had barely put the book aside before she felt her mother's trembling arms envelop her, followed by her brother's. They had all been as moved by Vanessa's plight as she had been, and there was not a dry eye in the room.  
  
Finally, Jeanette pulled away and wiped her eyes. "At least..." she began, trying to make sense of her jumbled emotions. "At least I can understand...why she did it. I am not upset or mad, thank gods...but what a thing to go through...and to find out I had a sister I never knew about...and half Aquitian...."  
  
"So, do you want to find this...this Shayla?" asked Trey, hugging her again.  
  
"You bet I do, Trey. Goodness, do your realize that not only is she your Aunt--if she is alive--but Delphine's cousin?"  
  
He grinned slightly. "I think we had better have a talk with Delphine, Mother."  
  
The Aquitian woman was stunned into silence as she listened to the passages from the diary.  
  
"How can it be?" she asked when she found her tongue. "I heard he had a child, but he never said she was half Triforian, much less her mother was..."  
  
"Is he and Shayla still alive?" Sharie questioned her over the comm link.  
  
"I don't know. I have not heard from them in twelve years. They still live on the outpost, as far as I know. I have never *seen* Shayla, mind you, but she does indeed exist."  
  
"We plan to find her," said Sharie. "Tomorrow, we will be taking a ship out to find this outpost, and eventually, we will teleport."  
  
Delphine was quiet. "Then may I come with you? Shayla and her father are my family also, obviously, and I have not seen D'tara in years. I would love to see him again."  
  
There was no hesistation. Jeanette agreed to let her come.  
  
"We will be leaving tomorrow morning," she said. "By teleportation."  
  
"Teleportation?" asked Delphine with a cocked head. "How would you get the energy for that? The outpost is so distant that, unless it is an extreme emergency, contact is made only once every three years, when a ship goes there with water from Eternal Falls and other supplies. Other than that, it takes too much energy. Teleport?"  
  
"I'll piggyback your signal onto my Zeo energy frame," said Sharie, unconcerned. "Trust me, there will be enough power to get us there quickly and efficently using my network. There is just one thing. If she is half- Triforian, she should be brought here first. Her half-Aquitian physiology might not be enough to prevent her from splintering if she goes to Aquitar first, she should be given the Unity inoculation before anything else."  
  
Delphine considered this, then nodded. "All right, then. I see it is settled."  
  
****  
  
"Be careful with that stuff!" Astronema ordered as her klutzy monsters hefted supplies into a temporary hideaway on Earth. "That is viral contaminantes, fools! Do you want to infect us all by breaking a bottle?!"  
  
"Sorry, Astronema," whined Elgar, whirling to snap at the Quantrons. "Hey, you! Move it, and don't break anything, hear?!"  
  
Astronema suppressed a sigh of frustration. The viral infection in those containers could do a lot of damage, depending on the species they were unleashed on. On some worlds, it was deadly. On others, some were immune, or got no more than a mild cold. She did not want to risk a broken bottle, for if Angel Grove got infected, she was not sure she would want to conquer a dead city.  
  
No one noticed Elgar accidentally dropping two of the bottles on the edge of the clearing, and they crashed open. He gasped, looked around, and kicked dirt over them to hide what he had done. But a golden sparkly cloud had already dispersed from the bottles, and the wind carried it directly in Angel Grove's direction.  
  
****  
  
Inadvertently, Sharie grinned as she prepared to leave. She was only waiting for Carlos's call before she joined the others in preparation outside.  
  
She was not disappointed, her communications system beeped at her. She was over there at once, answering it. It was indeed Carlos.  
  
"Hey, Querida, I got your message," he said cheerfully. "Man, what a story! And you are leaving this morning to go look for this Shayla?"  
  
"Yes," she said. "I hope to not be gone more than a day or two, Carlos. Surely you can survive without me for that long."  
  
"Maybe," he teased back. "Oh, yeah, speaking of stories, I have one for you. We have a new Ranger on board."  
  
He saw her blink. "Oh, who?"  
  
"You won't believe this. The Silver Astro Ranger. His name's Zhane. He was on board the whole time, and we never knew."  
  
"He was in chryostasis?" she asked, to confirm her own thoughts. He looked appropriately astonished.  
  
"Sharie Triesta, how in the galaxy did you know that?"  
  
"Don't think that after all this time, I would not have sensed an unconscious mind on board," she informed him. "And when the Megaship was damaged several weeks ago, I found the chryochamber still intact. I sensed it would upset Andros to ask, so I did not."  
  
Bewildered, Carlos shook his head. "I should not have been surprised. Well, good luck, and I hope you find who you are looking for, Querida. I should stay in one piece while you are gone--but be careful, okay? I would hate to have you recovered--again--and fall dead because of something so soon after....well, you get the picture," he cleared his throat hoarsely. "I love you, Sharie. Take care."  
  
She smiled reassuringly at him. "I love you too, Carlos. I will be as careful as I can possibly be. See you soon."  
  
He smiled back with his typical heart-melting grin, gave a mock-salute, and disappeared from the screen. Sharie chuckled to herself as she turned off the comm unit and went to join the others.  
  
"Carlos is fine," she said to their questioning gazes. "I am ready to go if you are."  
  
****  
  
Only a vague sense of consciousness remains when one is changed from a living, breathing being into a flash of energy to teleport across space. Lacking nerves, all feelings and most senses are subduded, and there is little realization of time as one rushes across the Universe at top speeds. Still, Sharie and the others, even as nothing more than coloful flashes of sparkly light, were aware of the distance it was taking, for none of them had hardly ever traveled such a distance by teleportation before.  
  
It seemed nearly an eternity, having only a vague consciousness, and that in suspension, but was only about fifteen minutes before Sharie felt herself start to solidify again, feelings rushing to her as her nerves reknit themselves, and her vision and eyes were cleared of white noise.  
  
They were in some chamber or other, but that was all she could tell as she was knocked off her feet as soon as the energy beam released her fully. The ground and everything else around them was quaking in absolute chaos.  
  
A startled Aquitian was aiming a weapon at them in stunned surprise at their unannounced arrival, before he noticed Delphine among the group. He lowered his weapon as he fought for his own footing, but warily. "All right, who are you? All I can say for sure is I doubt if you are responsible for this mess, if the leader of the Aquitian Rangers is with you."  
  
"We are not," said Delphine, struggling to hold her own. "What is happening here?"  
  
"Some alien group in a couple of ships thought it would be fun to try and take us over. They were no match for us, but they fired plasma into the ocean headed toward underground lava streaks beneath this underwater city," he gasped as the floor continued to sway benath his feet. "It will continue for another couple of hours, at least, and we are trying to perform rescue operations and evacuate our population to our backup coloy site on the surface. But many are missing and unaccounted for."  
  
"Looks like you can use some help," said Jeanette over the noise as another wave took her to the floor. She caught herself and continued. "We did not come here expecting this chaos, but our mission can wait until this catastrophe is over. If you will allow it, we will do what we can."  
  
"That would be appreciated. I am Donoval, head of Security. If anyone questions you, just say that you have Donoval's permission and you are here to help. No one will harm you, and they will appreciate your efforts."  
  
Jeanette nodded. "I will help in the infirmary, if you like. I am a trained physician, my daughter is also, but she is a Power Ranger like my son. Trey is trained in first aid. They will help in rescue operations, If you do not mind."  
  
****  
  
They scattered to help with rescue operations, all the while the ground quaking beneath their toes. Sharie cried out and ducked as a collapsing wall nearly buried her. She heard other gasps of pain nearby, and found a young man who had not been so lucky. He gave her a weak, dazed glance before his head sank to the ground, unconscious.  
  
He was half-buried in rubble, and he had a neck wound. It was not bleeding badly, so she doubted if it was arterial. Still, she shoved the rubble off his body as quickly as she could, and grunted as she pulled him free.  
  
Quickly, she checked him over, then called upon her medkit. She reached for bandages and a splint, for his leg was broken. She was glad he was unconscious, for she would have to reset the bone here. If he was lifted, even in the infirmary, it would cause irreperable damage. Some things could not be fixed under any circumstances, and she did not want him to have to face life with an artificial leg if she could possibly help it.  
  
The breakage was just below the knee, and the bone was protruding through the flesh. She grimaced at the thought of the infections that could result, and she sprayed anti-bacterial aid on it first, then dug her fingers into the wound to hold the leg immoble as she snapped the bone back in place as best she could.  
  
The young man winced, but remained unconscious, to her relief. She reached into her medkit and wrapped a dermal regenerator around the wound, tying the splint firmly on over it. She also treated his neck wound, which did not appear serious, but she put on a neck brace because of his concussion. Finally, he was ready to teleport away to the infirmary area. She used a special antibacterial cloth on her hands to remove the bloodstains and other grit, then continued her mission.  
  
****  
  
Carlos had awakened early, but shortly after he had spoken to Sharie, his head started to swim, and he felt rather bleary. He got up off his chair and stretched, yawning, and wondered why his joints seemed to ache.  
  
*I must be getting old,* he thought, half-jokingly. Still, he went out of his quarters and headed for DECA's medical bay. It would not do for him to be sick, and his powers prevented him from catching most illnesses. What they did not DECA could usually cure.  
  
****  
  
Astronema woke up with an earsplitting headache, as if she had been drunk on Venusians Coctail and was now suffering the consequences. But since she did not make a habit of using drugs or drinking, it had to be a regular stress headache.  
  
Until she got up and, as soon as she stood, the floor rocked beneath her feet and she fell down, clutching her stomach and groaning. Her breathing was coming in rather short pants, and she coughed slightly.  
  
"Ohhh..." she moaned, grasping the edge of her bed and pulling her slight body back up onto it. *Gods, why do I have to get sick *now*? Not with all that virus I have to take care of--*  
  
Suddenly, she shot bolt upright, ignoring her spinning head. She reached for her comm system, not caring how her muscles ached. "Ecliptor!" she said hoarsely into it. "Get Elgar in here, and get him *now*!"  
  
It took her right-hand man and father figure a few minutes to stagger in, hauling a coughing Elgar by the arm. "Here he is, my princess," he gasped. His eyes had no light, and he was speaking carelessly. He had it too.  
  
"Elgar, you buffoon!" she gasped, choking as she coughed. "You did it, I know you did! You broke a bottle, didn't you! I am infected, and I can tell you two are! That must mean Angel Grove is facing an epedemic!"  
  
"Y-yes," he stammered, scared. "I---probably did."  
  
"How much?"  
  
"Two bottles. It was an accident, Astronema, honest!"  
  
"Yeah, sure," She coughed. "And with two bottles, even the Power Rangers will not be able to avoid becoming Ill. And while that is a good thing, how can I attack, if everyone is too ill to fight? Ecliptor, toss him to squiggly."  
  
"No! Not Squiggly!" protested Elgar between coughs. Ecliptor ignored the comment, and was back in a couple of moments.  
  
"Is it fatal, to us or humans?"  
  
"I don't know, Ecliptor," she sighed, then coughed again as he sought to make her comfortable. "I just don't know. But we will be down for awhile, I can tell you that much."  
  
Ecliptor knew it was bad then, for Astronema was never one to admit defeat, even when backed into a corner.  
  
****  
  
"Scan is negative," DECA informed Carlos calmly. "But your stress levels are rather high. Maybe it is due to tension, Carlos. I will give you something for it, then you go lay back down."  
  
Carlos nodded blearily, wondering if he should mention the nausea that was now plauging him, or the tightness in his chest. "All right...but DECA, can you scan *all* viruses and bacteria?"  
  
"I can only scan for ones that I know of, or are in my peremiters to define a virus or bacteria," she said cooly, as if to tell him that he should know that already. The dispenser dropped his medication with a rather undignified *thump*, as if to show her irritation. "Now take that, and go back to bed."  
  
Carlos nodded, barely hearing her. He reached for the dispensed liquid capsul, crushed it in his teeth, and swallowed it, before ambling back to his room. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Cassie ambling down the hallway behind him the way he had come. So maybe it was not simply stress...  
  
****  
  
After rescuing some more individuals, most of them more or less hurt, Sharie came to a blocked-off area. She could see no way inside, yet she heard a female Aquitian voice inside was calling for help, so she was alive and conscious.  
  
"I am here," She called inside. "Can you hear me?"  
  
"What?" asked the voice in surprise. "Yes, yes, I can hear you. Can you kindly help me out of here?"  
  
"I will try to do so," Sharie assured her. "Are you alone?"  
  
"Yes," called the voice. "There is nobody else here."  
  
"Can you see any opening, however small? There should be, if you can hear me like this, and I can hear you."  
  
"Well...wait. I see one down near the left, corner," said the voice, "But it is too small for me to get through."  
  
"Where? Show me if you can," said Sharie, going to the corner indicated and kneeling down. A moment later, a small, femenine hand could be seen, and the fingers waved.  
  
Sharie gently touched the fingers in acknowledgement. "I am here. I will see what I can do about opening the hole wider so you can escape, because teleportations are being limited to injured personnel badly in need of medical treatment. But it looks rather unstable, so I am going to have to move quickly. Get out when I tell you to, and move as fast as you can."  
  
"All right."  
  
Gingerly, she began removing what rubble she could from the corner, and as she feared, it began to tremble, and shake, as she got the hole wide enough for a slim female to slip through, then was on the verge of collapse.  
  
"Move, FAST!" Sharie barked frantically, grasping a hand and pulling hard. The girl came free, and they went sprawling, just as the whole pile of rubble collapsed, resettling. They landed on their sides, skidding to a halt, clutching each other by the arms.  
  
"I thank you," gasped the young woman as she panted for breath.  
  
"Anytime," rasped Sharie, lifting her head to regard the woman's face for the first time. She saw the eyes first--and both pairs met, and held, in mutual surprise.  
  
Sharie paled slightly as she gazed into a face that, save for distinct Aquitian features, was a mirror image of her own, down to the the shock in mutual purple eyes.  
  
****  
  
Carlos awoke an hour later, groaning. He turned his head, feeling it pounding from bow to stern with incredible pain twice as worse as before. He attempted to take a deep breath, and all he got was a wheeze, followed by a paroxysm of coughing loud enough to wake the dead.  
  
"DECA..." he gasped. "DECA--"  
  
The camera in his room, usually dark, came on with blinking lights. "Do not move, Carlos," She warned softly. "I was wrong. All on board have what you apparently have, and I am not happy to report this epedemic started in the middle of the night, and much of Angel Grove is already down."  
  
"I feel horrible," moaned Carlos. "Is--is it fatal?"  
  
"Unknown," said DECA, sounding maddeningly calm. "No reported fatalities as yet."  
  
"Don't--" Carlos coughed. "Please don't...talk so...loud, DECA."  
  
"I apologize," she said, her tone humble, as her voice lowered. "To repeat, no fatalities reported as yet, but many people are being checked in to the hospitals, while others don't seem to be sick as yet. But I still cannot determine what is wrong. I will try and give you medication to soothe your symptoms, but beyond that I cannot do much. Stay in bed, and Alpha will try and care for you all. The only other thing I can report is that the Dark Fortress seems to have shut down, for some reason."  
  
"Maybe they have it, too," grumped Carlos, not caring.  
  
"That is not known. But for now, they are not a threat. Try to get some rest."  
  
Carlos nodded blearily, his eyes closing in spite of themselves, as he laid an aching arm over his hot face, blotting out any remaining light as the universe slid away into oblivion.  
  
****  
  
Astronema was not awake, but she was shaking so with chills her teeth were chattering. She did not seem to notice as Ecliptor, shaking himself, spilled water down her neck in his attempt to force liquids down her throat. She was like a daughter to him, he had raised her, he was willing to ignore his own symptoms in order to help her through this.  
  
She was cold, but her skin was red with fever, and she shook with coughs, even in her sleep. She was delerious, and it rather frightened even him when she started to cry out, "Andros! Andros, help me!" as nightmares plagued her incessantly as the day wore on.  
  
Finally, Ecliptor was too tired himself to continue without some sort of rest on his behalf, as well. Elgar would be no help, he was too ill with this himself and after playing with squiggly. He would not let Darkonda touch her with a ten-foot pole if his life depended on it.  
  
Sighing, he backed up until he was against the nearest wall, and slid down it to sit on the floor. Oblivion claimed his senses before he could think of anything else.  
  
****  
  
They seemed to stare at each other for several moments before the girl rached up and, rather boldly, touched Sharie's face. "Who are you? Or am I dreaming? You look so much like me..."  
  
The girl looked no older than she was, but that told Sharie nothing. She was most likely years older. "My name...is Sharie," said the girl in violet. "Who are *you*?"  
  
Again the girl stared at her for an indeterminable period before she swallowed. "My name....my name is Shayla. Shayla Kiriki...and if I have any right to add my mother's surname to my own, Triesta."  
  
Sharie felt the floor drop from beneath her feet for a moment. "How old are you, Shayla?" she dared to ask.  
  
"I am twenty-eight. You sound like you have a purpose, Sharie."  
  
It was the right age. Sharie was by now fairly certain, but she had to make sure. "Who...are your parents? Please, do not think I am being nosy, but I must make sure you are who I believe you are."  
  
The Aquitian girl shook her head, and a sudden flash of gold made Sharie see the mark of Triforia over her left eye, what parts would show on an Aquitian, anyway. "I do not understand, but somehow I trust you. If you must know, my father is D'tara. My mother was Vanessa, but she died within weeks of my birth."  
  
Sharie could barely speak past the lump in her throat. "And she was Triforian."  
  
Shocked, the girl looked at her. "How did you know that? Who are you, really? Why do you resemble me so?"  
  
"Shayla, I came here to this colony to find you."  
  
"Me? Why?"  
  
"My full name is Sharie Jeanette...Triesta, Shayla. I am here from Triforia." Sharie lifted her chin, and suddenly her own Mark of Triforia gleamed in the faint light.  
  
The girl gasped, and tears filled her eyes. "Triforia? Triesta? Are you....are you of my mother's family? Please, I've *got* to know! You must be, you look like me...." She shook her head, tossing her long, golden, curly ponytail down her back. "Please..."  
  
Sharie's eyes misted over as well as she recalled her grandmother's written words of love for her daughter. "Yes, Shayla, I am. Your mother, Vanessa Ayla Triesta, was my grandmother. Her other daughter, Jeanette, is my mother. I expect that makes me your neice."  
  
Tears started to trickle down Shayla's face. "Is it true, then? I have wanted to know about my mother's family for so long..." she did not protest as Sharie scooted closer, and Shayla held out her arms so the two could embrace. "I...thought everyone in my mother's family was dead, for word reached us on the war Triforia fought. Daddy was so broken-hearted when Momma died...he loved her so much. I only knew her the first six weeks of my life, but every memory I have of her, I cherish."  
  
"Is your father still alive?"  
  
"Yes, Daddy is alive...I hope. I don't know where he is. We got seperated."  
  
"I guess our relationship makes him my step-grandfather," Sharie grinned as the girls released each other. "We must find him. Shayla, I am not the only member of my family here. Your nephew, my brother, Trey, is here, as well as your half-sister, my mother, Jeanette. And your cousin, Delphine."  
  
They managed to get to their feet, for the shaking had stopped, and standing revealed a difference at last--Sharie was not surprised when Shayla towered over her like her mother and everyone else seemed to. She and her mother were about the same height, it seemed.  
  
Shayla did not seem to note this, for she was remeniscing with a sad smile. "My sister...I remember, as a newborn, my mother rocking me and telling me that I had one, telling me how much alike we were, though she is 23,000 years my senior. She is...here?"  
  
Sharie nodded assent.  
  
"Sharie...how did you find me? I thought no one knew..."  
  
To go into detail, Sharie told an abbreviated version of her story, that she had grown up on Earth and the like, and how she had been exploring in the attic when her mother had found the box containing the diary. "After reading what she had written, we felt we had to find you. Your mother thought about you and missed you until the day she died."  
  
Shayla brushed the tears from her cheeks. "You must tell Daddy this," she said, a bit hoarsely. "He will want to know that she remembered us...and loved us. You must tell him...if we find him."  
  
****  
  
Carlos felt twice as bad when he next woke up. Every move caused long episodes of coughing, and when he sat up, the nausea became so bad he nearly lost it right on the floor. But DECA had wisely instructed Alpha to set up a basin by his bed.  
  
Her camera blinked on as he lay back down, groaning. "You would be wise not to get up," she said calmly.  
  
"The others...how are they?"  
  
"They are down ill as well."  
  
He did not like her tone, with a secret overshadowing in it. "Spill it, DECA. All of it. That is an order."  
  
"You do not order me around, Carlos Perez," She scolded, contrite. "You have no authority."  
  
This made him mad, and in turn made his coughing worse. "I have authority as a Power Ranger to know the condition of my temmates," he snapped. "You have no right to keep it from me deliberately. It is treason."  
  
"Ha, ha," she said, not amused. "If you must know, they are not good. Their condition is about as bad as yours. They are in their own rooms, except for Ashley. She disobeyed my orders and dragged herself down the hall to Andros's room. They are both cramped on his bed and groaning with fever."  
  
"And...the Angel...Grove epidemic?" he wheezed.  
  
"Worse. Very widespread. But no fatalities as yet, the prossiblity remains."  
  
Carlos slumped back down into his pillows. He suddenly felt very cold, and he had to move for the blankets he had kicked off in his feverish sleep. The movement made his stomach roll again, and he nearly fainted with the effort. He lay in bed, with the freezing covers pulled over his achingly cold body, and shook as oblivion claimed him again. He fell back unconscious, his teeth chattering, and his dreams were his last hold on reality.  
  
Because they were of Sharie.  
  
****  
  
Ecliptor awoke to strangled wheezes and chattering teeth. He managed somehow to drag himself over to Astronema, who, in her feverish doze, had managed to kick off her covers, and was now shaking in her sleep as a result. Her breathing was frantic as she gasped for air, and it frightened him enough to stumble for the medkit in the wall. He ripped it open and reached for one of the inhalation devices, and medication that was supposed to dialate the bronchial tubes in the lungs. He was no doctor, but he was trained enough in first aid to know how bad this was.  
  
He filled the little areochamber with areosol medication and held the device to Astronema's lips, supporting her and hoping she would breathe deeply enough for the medication to work. Otherwise, he feared her suffocating to death.  
  
To be sure, he squeezed the container thoroughly, many times, forcing what was in it down her air passage. He was gratified to see his efforts were not in vain, the ragged edge to her wheezes eased and her breathing slowed a bit, anyway.  
  
Ecliptor sighed and slumped back, almost wanting to cry. But he did not. Those evil never cried if they could help it, it showed weakness. But Astronema....he cared too much for her to let her die. It would destroy him, too, he knew. She meant as much to him as if she had been his flesh- and-blood daughter.  
  
"Get well, my princess," he rasped, reaching up to touch her red face gently. "Do this man a favor, and please get well."  
  
She moaned softly in response, turning her face toward the coolness of his hand, for she instinctively trusted him with her life. He made what would have to pass for a weak smile, and he suddnely did not care about the tears still stinging the back of his eyes.  
  
****  
  
Sharie and Shayla had rounded a corner, and had come to a gallery, when Shayla suddenly shrieked. "There he is! Daddy!"  
  
A man, extremely handsome with dark eyes, turned to find his daughter rushing at him. Sharie stood back in the shadows as she watched the happy reunion.  
  
"Shayla, you're alive!" he welcomed her into his arms, making it plain how close they were. "Where have you been? I've been searching all over for you! Are you all right?"  
  
She pulled away slightly, her eyes bright. "I'm fine, Daddy. I was trapped, but I was rescued by...Daddy, there is someone you should meet." She turned and motioned Sharie out of the nearby shadows.  
  
She stepped forward as D'tara turned to face her. She watched, rather unsurprised, as all color drained from his face. Sharie knew she was almost an exact duplicate of her grandmother, save for her shorter height and purple eyes.  
  
"It...it cannot be..." he stumbled disbelievingly. "How...who..."  
  
Sharie spoke softly, without moving a muscle. "Hello, D'tara."  
  
"Who are you...." he choked.  
  
She spoke gently. "I am Sharie Triesta, D'tara. Vanessa Ayla Triesta was my grandmother. Your daughter Shayla is my aunt."  
  
Shaking, he could not stop himself from reaching out to touch her. "Yes...you must be...the resemblence is so strong..but we thought her family was killed about twelve years ago."  
  
"No," Sharie continued to speak softly, not moving as she let his hands explore her face, as if reassuring himself she was there. "It...is a long story, D'tara. I am glad to finally meet you. It may sound strange, but you are my step-grandfather."  
  
A sad, wry smile tugged at his finely chisled lips. "So it appears you are. I believe, then, that you are Jeanette's daughter. But I thought..." he suddenly looked confused. "Vanessa had never revealed that she had another child. She was going to once she was well, but...she died. So how did you know?"  
  
Briefly, Sharie repeated her story.  
  
"That diary..." D'tara shook his head, smiling faintly. "She was always writing in it. I wondered why, now I am grateful."  
  
Sharie nodded in agreement. "I am not the only one here looking for you. Jeanette herself is here, as well as Trey and your cousin Delphine."  
  
He looked surprised. "Delphine, my cousin, is here? How do you know her?"  
  
She met his questioning gaze steadily. "I know her well, D'tara. You see...she and my brother...are involved. In love with each other, if you will."  
  
The surprise on his face softened into another smile. "So, our two families blend again, is it? I hope he has better luck than I did. Delphine's a fine woman." Tears filled his eyes. "I loved her, Sharie, I really did. Shayla's arrival only made our happiness complete. And then...and then she was gone. I did not want to go back to Aquitar, and I did not know if Shayla could survive there or on Triforia. So remained here, on neutral ground. Here she survived, thrived, and grew into a brilliant young medical scientist."  
  
"I can see that," said Sharie, glancing at Shayla and smiling. "You must be very proud of her. Do you know where your medical bay is from here? That is where my mother is, though heaven knows where Trey and Delphine are."  
  
"It is nearby. I was on my way there myself, in case Shayla had been brought in, injured...or worse." He swallowed. "Please follow me."  
  
It was nice to walk with solid footing as they followed the tall man up one hall and down another, over a few more twists and turns, past more chaotic areas still being evacuated, until they reached the door that, in both Aquitian and Standard lettering, was marked, "Infirmary."  
  
****  
  
Carlos was so ill when he next woke, he could not even turn his head without coughing wildy. He felt like the Megaship were sitting on his chest, it was so tight.  
  
He did not know how he managed it, but he managed to squeak out the word, "DECA?"  
  
Immediately, her light flashed on at him. "Do not move, Carlos," she said softly, aware of how much he was suffering. "The others are still the same, you might as well know. They are too ill to move, but it does not appear to be fatal--yet. No fatalities still reported in Angel Grove, but it could take days, for all I know. Alpha has been caring for you the best he can, but one robot can only do so much."  
  
"How about..." Carlos coughed hard, and gasped, "Moving us all to the medical bay, if it would make it easier on him and you?"  
  
"I considered that, but there would be little point. We are trying to give you all medications to ease your symptoms, but that is all we can do. We have no idea what is infecting you, but Alpha has been trying to find out. So there is no point in trying to move you, unless...." She did not finish the sentence, but her tone implied what she did not say.  
  
He turned his head again, and almost choked on the pressure of his own ragged breathing. "Sharie...Trey...are they back yet?"  
  
"Negative. Besides, it might not be wise to expose them to this, it could be worse for a Triforian."  
  
Carlos groaned and tried not to think of that. Sharie especially had had too much battering done to her body within the last several weeks, more than he had done to him in a long time. He was not sure how much more she could stand.  
  
"He said it might take a day or two," he grumped, almost incoherently. "Gods, I hope we can hold out that long. If at all possible, DECA, send them a warning."  
  
"I had already planned to do that, Carlos. Now, relax, and go back to sleep. Rest is good for the body."  
  
He squirmed uncomfortably. "But....oh, no, DECA...turn off your camera, go away, and I hope I can stagger."  
  
She blinked for a moment, and he could have swore she was suddenly laughing at him. Indeed, her tone was amused as she asked, "It seems, though, you can hardly walk. Shall I send in Alpha to help you?"  
  
"Absolutely not," he gasped, coughing hard. "I will get there by myself if I have to crawl on my stomach. Now go away."  
  
"Alpha is a robot, and he won't care one way or the other," she scolded. "You cannot say I did not try. Good luck. I will be monitoring your vital signs anyway, in case you get in trouble."  
  
He swore softly as her camera blinked off. She was enjoying the opprotunity to get back at him, he knew it.  
  
When he attempted to stand, the floor rocked under him, and he collapsed, coughing. He nearly blacked out then and there, but the other urge he felt had him crawling on his hands and knees towards the bathroom anyway, and he did not care one way or the other.  
  
****  
  
Ecliptor staggered over to Astronema's comm terminal in her room to answer the insistent message. He was so dizzy it was hard to appear he was coherent, but he doubled his efforts when he saw who the message was from.  
  
"What do you want, Darkonda?" he growled at the screen.  
  
"My, how healthy you look," his rival sneered back at him. "Down for the count, eh, Ecliptor?"  
  
"What's it to you, spike-face?" Ecliptor growled back. "What do you want?"  
  
"Simple. Dark Spectre heard about your little problem, and he knows you cannot conquer Earth if nobody is in any shape to attack. He sent me with a group of Pirahnatrons I borrowed from Divatox. I'll keep those sick rangers busy until they collapse."  
  
"Oh, hold on a minute, willya?" grumbled Ecliptor. "Astronema is waking up, I might as well tell her--if she is coherent enough."  
  
"As you wish." Darkonda made a mock bow and his screen paused as he waited for Ecliptor to come back.  
  
Ecliptor went over to where Astronema had begun to toss and moan, her hazel eyes blinking restlessly open and shut. She squinted slightly, coughing all the while, as Ecliptor stumbled into her field of view. "E- ecliptor...?" she wheezed faintly.  
  
"Lie still, my princess," he soothed gently, pushing her back down as she attempted to sit up. "You certainly are in no condition to move. But I must tell you something."  
  
She stopped struggling long enough against his grip to listen as he continued. "Unfortunately, I have heard from Darkonda. Dark Spectre has heard of what happened here, and he sent Darkonda along with some Pirhanatrons to keep the Rangers busy. It seems both Darkonda and the Pirahnatrons are immune to the virus."  
  
He had just barely caught her attention. "The...." she coughed. "The Rangers...are...down...they won't be...in any condition to...fight...And I don't want to conquer...with a sick population, probably dying, on my hands."  
  
"Maybe not. But you want the Rangers out of the way, right?"  
  
She shrugged.  
  
"Do you want him to attack, at least make them sicker?"  
  
"I don't care," she wheezed at last. "Let him do it if he wants...but leave the populace alone."  
  
Ecliptor nodded, brushing her tousled hair out of her face as her eyes fluttered shut again. Sighing in defeat, he returned to the comm channel and reopened it. "She says go ahead and attack the rangers, but leave the populace alone for now. It is no good to enslave a sick and dying city, for they cannot be used for anything. We must wait and see."  
  
He could see that Darkonda did not agree, but the other guy did not press the issue, only bowing and saying, "as you wish," before blinking out.  
  
Ecliptor sighed before sinking back down against the wall. Gods, how he hated Darkonda, but right now, he was not in a position to fight him yet again. Still, he felt like he was handing over power to the other on a sliver platter right about now, and he was helpless to prevent it.  
  
****  
  
Sharie stepped inside, Shayla right behind her, holding onto her father's hand. Quickly, her sharp eyes scanned the room, and she spotted her mother and Delphine in a far corner, though Trey was no where in sight.  
  
"There they are," she whispered to them. "Stay here, so I can go tell them. I'll be back."  
  
Impulsivly, she left them and crossed the room. "Mother!"  
  
Jeanette glanced up, startled. "Sharie," she said with a welcome smile, relieved to see her daughter in one piece. "I see you made it. Are you okay?"  
  
Sharie reached out and hugged her mother, glad to see her all right, also. "I am fine. And I found some people here you will want to meet. You too, Delphine," She said, casting a glance over her mother's shoulder at Delphine, who was watching the exchange with her usual, serene calm.  
  
She turned and motioned the two out of the nearby shadows of the dim room. Jeanette's eyes widened in surprise as Sharie announced calmly, "Meet Shayla Kiriki Triesta, and her father, D'tara."  
  
Jeanette suddenly felt the floor drop from beneath her feet as she automatically glanced at Shayla--and her eyes met the other's identical ones. For several seconds, all they did was stare, not moving, two women nearly identical in appearance--except one was half-Aquitian.  
  
Sharie watched silently as finally, as if in a dream, Jeanette reached out to gingerly touch Shayla, and the other did not pull away.  
  
Jeanette finally found her tongue....and she swallowed. "I am glad to meet you, Shayla....my sister."  
  
Shayla smiled a shy but real smile, and it unfroze both Triesta women, and suddenly they were hugging, tightly, and neither really had a dry eye.  
  
D'tara's own eyes were misty as he watched the heartfelt reunion, and he felt a stabbing pain in his own heart. Both daughter and mother looked so much like his deceased wife, it was hard to look at them.  
  
He jumped when he felt a gentle hand on his arm, and an old, yet familiar voice, sounded in his ears. "Hello, D'tara."  
  
He whirled, and was greeted by a welcome sight of a smiling woman. "Delphine!" He smiled a real smile, and he embraced his cousin and friend. "How are you?"  
  
"I am fine. I am glad to see the years are treating you well, also," she said, grinning, as she pulled back to survey him. "Hope you don't mind our little visit."  
  
"Mind? Delphine, that is hardly a question I have any right to answer," he said, looking back at the reunion. "But I am glad for all of this, just the same. I never thought to hear from any of Vanessa's family again...and if you are here with them, I assume you know the whole story."  
  
Her smile faded slightly and she nodded sadly. "Yes. My only question is why you never told me that your daughter's mother was Triforian...especially a former Lady of Triforia."  
  
"It was too painful," he said uneasily, his eyes flashing pent-up hurt. "And it never really seemed relavent."  
  
"Well, now that we've found you," she said encouragingly, "We need to have a talk. All of us."  
  
****  
  
Carlos was jerked out of a feverish doze by DECA's warning sirens. It screamed loudly in his ears, and nearly split his skull in half. "DECA!" he shouted. "Turn off that infernal racket!" The superhuman efforts of shouting caused him to cough so hard, he sank back down, and he was sure his lips were blue from lack of oxygen. He lay there, gasping and wheezing, while DECA muted, though not silenced, the wail.  
  
"What is going on?" he wheezed painfully, struggling for air.  
  
"I believe I was correct in assuming that the Dark Fortress was also under infection," said DECA glumly. "Not only have they set up quarantine banners on the outside of the place, but Darkonda is here...with Pirahnatrons."  
  
"Pirahnatrons?" wheezed Carlos. "We have not faced them since...Hercuron. Where...are they?"  
  
"The park, as usual. Jumping around, making noise. I think he is simply waiting for you all to somehow come to him, sick or not."  
  
"If we're all to sick to stand, how are we going to fight?" moaned the boy. "We can....hardly kick or punch on our hands and knees."  
  
"Morphing may temporarily alleviate or at least reduce your symptoms," said DECA after a moment. "However, I do not know how long it will last. It would be short-lived at best. I urge you to exercise caution."  
  
"All right," sniffled Carlos. "Tell the others."  
  
He reached for his morpher, still lying down in his pajamas. "Let's Rocket!" he coughed weakly.  
  
****  
  
Morphed and out on the field, it had reduced the severity of their symptoms enough so they could stand up and move about weakly, but DECA had been right about the severity of their symptoms. They were coughing all over the place, and so weak that attacking Pirahnatrons, usually an easy chore, seemed impossible.  
  
Darkonda did nothing at all. He only stood in the background, laughing, as he watched them exhaust themselves beyond endurance. Exhaust them enough, he figured, and the effects of the illness would be fatal. They would not have enough strength left in their bodies to fight disease after a little more of this, he was certain. A fitting end to the pesky power pests.  
  
****  
  
Ecliptor watched this with a frown. Somehow, he did not like how Darkonda was handling this. He knew Darkonda had no honor, Darkonda often feeling he had to move to hurt the enemy in the worst way possible, torturing them past their usefulness, then making their deaths slow and painful.  
  
Ecliptor felt this was not only not right, it was extremely dishonorable. He would not waste his time on an enemy that had outlived his usefulness, and he did not enjoy the waste of time torture brought, except to extract vital information. And why bother prolonging death with pain? Might as well end it all quickly, since that way, there was no chance they could live, and it was more merciful...and honorable. And it saved time.  
  
Astronema moaned, shifting on her bed. She did not wake up again, but her face was flushed with an ever-increasing fever and she was breathing very rapidly, desperately trying to make up for lack of oxygen as her lungs filled with guk and squeezed tightly closed.  
  
He had done all he could do. There was no known cure for this virus, either she would survive and recover, or she would die. So would he and every other being in this place. For anybody else, he would simply shrug and dismiss it as life. But for Astronema....if his death would ensure her survival, he would do it. He could not love her more if she had been his natural-born daughter.  
  
****  
  
To D'tara's surprise, when Jeanette finally turned to regard him, she bowed in the traditional Aquitian gesture of greeting and softly thanked him for making her mother's last year so happy.  
  
"I understand now her distress," she said softly. "It made her die a slow death inside to leave you and Shayla--and now knowing what was troubling her so, I cannot blame her. And I know why she did not tell us."  
  
He nodded as he grasped her hands. "Thank you," he whispered, eyes misty. "Your reassurance...means a lot to me. I loved her, Jeanette. I have not loved anyone before or since. I doubt if I ever will again."  
  
****  
  
Much of the rest of the day was spent in helping to evacuate the rest of the population to the surface. To everyone's surprise, there were no fatalities, though some were still critically injured.  
  
When Trey at last came by, he greeted both newcomers warmly. "My Grandmatai was a fine woman," he said to D'tara. "She was lucky to find someone so devoted."  
  
"As for you," he said jokingly to Shayla, who liked him at once, "What do I call you now? Aunt Shayla?"  
  
It was said teasingly, for such designations were not usually used on Triforia except in formal inroduction. Only mother, father, and Grandmatai (grandmother) and Grandbatai (grandfather) were used with consistency.  
  
Indeed, both liked him at once. He had his grandmother's face and eyes that were dark, like both his father's and his grandmother's, for both had had black eyes. He also had her breezy, cheerful sense of humor if he wanted to show it. D'tara had not enjoyed such humor in a very long time.  
  
****  
  
At last, just as he was on the verge of collapse, Carlos dimly realized that he was beating at no more than air. Darkonda had suddenly vanished, along with every piranahtron in his fleet.  
  
Carlos drew in a ragged breath and sank to his knees, every ounce of remaining strength gone.  
  
"He's been pretty effective this time," Carlos wheezed to his friends. "He was...trying to wear us out so our illness would become worse...well, it worked."  
  
"We must....keep fighting...." gasped Andros. "Try to...beat this thing."  
  
He was holding onto Ashley, she was holding onto him, while they tried to support each other. Carlos had never felt so ill, and he felt even worse looking at his fallen teammates. Now, as soon as they would demorph, they would surely die within days. Staying morphed would not prolong this miserable existence much longer.  
  
They had no choice but to go back to the megaship. Carlos staggered back to his room and wisely lay back down on his bed before he demorphed.  
  
As the Power faded away, it hit him so hard and with such a ferocity he was stunned. Pain and pressure slammed onto his chest, nearly completely cutting off his air supply. He lay there, gasping, and the world quickly and mercifully slid away as he welcomed the black void of unconsciousness.  
  
He would not reawaken again, not for a long, long time, even, if he got lucky.  
  
****  
  
That evening, everything was pretty much under control in the colony. Evacuation was complete, they were now in the emergency aboveground colony site.  
  
The group had gathered at last, settling into a private area to talk.  
  
"You want us to come with you?" asked Shayla in surprise. "Why...I don't know what to say."  
  
"It is up to you and your father, of course," said Sharie quickly. "But we would like you to come and visit, possibly stay. You wanted to come once, before you thought us killed in that war, D'tara. Shayla might want to learn about her Triforian heritage, and see Aquitar."  
  
Shayla glanced at her father, who gave her a slight nod as they silently communicated with their minds.  
  
Shayla drew in a deep breath. "In that case, yes, I will come if you will have me. To tell the truth," she blushed, "Daddy and I had been planning to leave this place, anyway. We were going to go to Triforia when I was sixteen, but then we heard about the war. We figured that if any of Momma's family had been alive, they would have been killed. So we did not go, and there is doubt I would be able to survive on Aquitar without splintering. That is why we stayed, but lately, again, I have been feeling this urge to go out, settle somewhere else."  
  
"I, too, wish to come," said D'tara in his typically quiet way. "This place holds many memories for me. I do not wish to forget, but I would like to move on. Shayla is grown, I no longer need to worry about her so much."  
  
Sharie spoke up. "Then it is settled. The only other thing is that when we leave, we must go to Triforia first. There is now a Unity inoculation to prevent splintering, I do not want to risk Shayla going to Aquitar without protection. She probably has her mother's Trifold state, you know."  
  
"I do," said Shayla. "Tests prove that."  
  
Sharie blinked, noticing that Delphine was suddenly very pale. "Down the hall, to the left," she hissed at her Aquitian friend.  
  
"Excuse me," said Delphine, a bit gratefully, as she quickly went to find the rehydration chambers Sharie had indicated. "I will be right back."  
  
"I will join you," said D'tara quickly, taking her arm. Without a word, the two walked off down the hall.  
  
Shayla did not join them, and her grin became a bit sickly. "Do you know how much I hate doing that? I am the only Aquitian here that finds that process bothersome and annoying. I don't have to rehydrate a third as often as everyone else does. Only once every few days at most. My heritage takes care of the rest by ensuing I can keep hydrated by plain old drinking water in a glass."  
  
"Lucky you," mumbled Delphine, who had come back with D'tara and heard the remark.  
  
Sharie smiled and turned to Shayla. "Is there anything much you need to bring?" she asked. "How soon can you both be ready to leave, and do you plan to return?"  
  
Shayla shook her head. "No, I have few vitals I need to bring along, except for a few things of my family that are heirlooms, and things that belonged to my mother. I can get my affairs in order quickly and say good- byes. We could leave by tomorrow afternoon."  
  
****  
  
In bed that night, Sharie tossed and turned. The feeling of uneasiness she had been plagued with all day long kept getting worse, the chills down her spine warned her that something was happening. At this distance, many galaxies away, even she could not read Carlos without superhuman effort. Only the vague sense of his lifeforce was in the back of her mind, and the only way it would change would be it's snapping if he was killed.  
  
Finally, she sat up straight in bed. Trey was troubled as well, she knew he was not asleep even though he pretended he was. He must sense something wrong also.  
  
This being an emergency aboveground colonysite, space was limited so they were sharing a room. She hesistated only a moment before turning to whisper, "Trey!"  
  
"Wh-what?" he mumbled through a yawn, but turning to face her at once. He took one look into her eyes and said, "Then you feel it also? That not everything is quite right?"  
  
She nodded her head. "But I cannot tell the severity of the problem. There is nothing more wrong around here, I would know it at once. It has to be on Earth, and I hope the others are handling the problem. We cannot just jump back and forth between here and Earth, my powers will let me expend only so much energy at once, even for them."  
  
"Does it feel like a sense of...iminent, crushing danger?"  
  
"Not yet. But it feels bad, I can tell you that much."  
  
"We can only trust in them to handle it, if there is something wrong," whsipered Trey, frustrated. "If you feel an iminent sense of danger, Lalinka, tell me at once. The others would willingly wait for us to return, I am certain of it."  
  
****  
  
They did not clue Jeanette in on what they had sensed during the night. The next morning was spent getting to know Shayla and D'tara, and letting the latter get the last of their affairs in order.  
  
Sharie liked Shayla. She was amazed by how the young woman portrayed the epitome of both worlds at once.  
  
Shayla sounded Aquitian, mostly, but her voice had the soft undertones of a human or Triforian. She did not have the more sudden movements to her body that an Aquitian had, her kinsetics were more Triforian than Aquitian. And she did not habitually hold her hands in the shape of a loose heart when they were otherwise unoccupied, as most Aquitians tended to do.  
  
But she displayed Delphine's temper, surely enough, if she saw injustice, and her laugh, her sense of humor, echoed her father's and her cousin's. She was not only trained in the medical field, she was a scientist and trained in the ways of ancient Aquitian warriors. D'tara had seen to that.  
  
"I also tried to educate her in what Triforian ways I knew from Vanessa and what little our computers have on the subject," he said. "But I am not of your world and there was not much I could really teach her."  
  
"You did fine," Jeanette assured him. "Though Shayla is part Triforian, I won't force her to learn anything she has no interest in learning."  
  
Secretly, though, she was glad when she discovered Shayla was very curious about her mother's people. The girl did not seem particularly torn in either direction of her heritage, she was her own person and determined to stay that way. But it did not stop her from wanting to know more.  
  
At last, though, everyone was ready to leave. They gathered, and with final good-byes to old friends, Sharie activated the teleportation sequence that sent energy rushing through them, obliterating most of their senses and sweeping them away and across the stars to Triforia.  
  
****  
  
Carlos might have been unconscious, but he still wanted to die. Even in his sleep, he was coughing, and an elephant might as well have been sitting on his chest, he was having such difficulty drawing a deep breath. Occassionally, he was aware of metallic hands moving him around, or other signs of Alpha moving quietly about his room, but it did not really register in his fevered mind.  
  
At his worst, he was delerious, crying out over and over again for Sharie, as though her name was a tenacious lifeline.  
  
To his delerious mind, she seemed at the edge of his consciousness, but she seemed just cruelly out of reach, when he wanted her by his side so desperately. And when his fevered dreams turned to nightmares, she mocked him by deliberately turning her back.  
  
Suddenly, very late in the day--though time had lost all meaning--she was again beside him, so he thought, just out of his reach--but she suddenly reached out to touch him.  
  
To his surprise, she felt solid.  
  
"Sharie?" he thought he said, he was not sure.  
  
"Shhh, Carlos, I am here, for real. Everything will be okay now."  
  
Surely he was still dreaming. Or was he?  
  
****  
  
Sharie felt herself materialize solidly on the Royal House grounds. When her vision cleared, the dreadful sense of uneasiness that had been nagging at the back of her brain suddenly grew as she was now back home. Her troubled glance met Trey's, he felt the same thing.  
  
Shayla's comment drew her attention, however, and she was forced to put her uneasiness aside. "Wow...this place...it is like Momma described it. It is beautiful!"  
  
"Welcome to Triforia," said Jeanette, pulling her sister over to a window. "I know you're going to love it here."  
  
"Mother," Sharie whispered, "You can give them the grand tour later, but first, there is something that both D'tara and Shayla must see. They must know."  
  
She beckoned the latter two to follow her, and they trailed behind her until they came to her chambers. Sharie had left the diary on her bedstand, she picked it up out of the box and hugged it to her chest as she came around to where the other two had settled on the couch.  
  
"This is what drew us to you," she said softly. "This is the diary Vanessa wrote those years ago, and it was somehow not found when it was stored in the attic of this building. It is up to you to read it or not, but you deserve to know her words. After she met you, D'tara, there is not a day that goes by that she does not comment how much she loved you, and you, Shayla, when she became pregnant and gave you life.  
  
She pushed it into D'tara's hands. "Read it, both of you. I will leave so you can be alone."  
  
However, he caught her hand. "Stay," he whispered, and odd light in his eyes that she could not completely read. "Vanessa left the diary to you. You must stay."  
  
She agreed, but she settled into an unobtrusive corner as the two opened the diary, side-by-side, on the couch, and started to read it with the typical rapid pace of both worlds.  
  
Such speed-reading did not soften the emotional impact Vanessa's words had on them, however. Shayla started to cry after she came to the part of her mother's marriage, and D'tara joined her when he first began to read of his wife's illness. The emanations of pure, heartfelt devoted love came through clearly in the pages of that diary, and at last, both felt it as the words were seared, permanently, to their hearts for all time.  
  
It was only when they reached the last page, and closed the book, that Sharie dared to come closer again. Almost blindly, Shayla reached for her, and Sharie embraced both quickly before pulling back.  
  
"Thank you," whispered D'tara. "Nothing has meant so much to us as this. Thank you for letting us see her words."  
  
"No thanks are necessary," said Sharie softly as she suddenly felt Shayla push the diary back into her hands. "I did what had to be done, and this is not mine, it is yours. Keep it as a link to her. I was simply Vanessa's messenger."  
  
"How old are you--eighteen?" guessed D'tara, accepting the diary back gladly. "You seem much, much older--but it says here my Vanessa died ten years before your birth."  
  
"I will be eighteen in a few weeks, more or less," Sharie answered evasively. "Trey will, too. But that is beside the point. The diary is yours--so keep it. I have to contact Carlos, I can't get rid of this feeling that somehow the Earth team is in trouble."  
  
Shayla nodded as a knock came on the door. Trey strode in without an acknowlegement, and he barely nodded to Shayla and D'tara as they filed out.  
  
"Sharie," he whispered urgently, "I just got a urgent beacon from DECA. It is her signal for trouble. We must get in contact with them at once."  
  
"I know," she said. The feeling had suddenly got much worse. Trey strode over to the communications terminal and without ceremony punched in the codes for locking a channel to the Megaship. Sharie quickly came up beside him as the signal had to be repeated three times before DECA's computer picked it up.  
  
"Boy, am I glad to see you two!" she exclaimed upon "seeing" them. "There is trouble here, Sharie, Trey. Most of Angel Grove is down with some mysterious illness. All the rangers have it, also, and I don't know what is causing it. The only good thing is the Dark Fortress is infected as well, and they are down and not a real threat. But we need help. The Rangers here are very sick, and are getting continually worse. I ask that you inoculate yourselves in whatever way necessary and please help. Alpha cannot keep going at the pace he has, even for a robot."  
  
Sharie barely had to glance at Trey to give her answer. "We will be over as soon as we can," she said quickly. "Out."  
  
As soon as DECA had cut off the screen, she started to curse herself for not having made contact sooner.  
  
"Stop that," said Trey, catching her wrists so she would stop her angry pacing. "You could not have directly known any more than I could. Let's get going and give them what help we can."  
  
"If it is an unknown virus or bacteria, then chances are we will get infected eventually as well," she stopped him. "I will inocculate us as much as possible, but if we go, be prepared to eventually become sick ourselves."  
  
"We could be immune," he pointed out. "We are not human."  
  
"Close enough," she said, pulling him up and reaching for her teleporter to teleport them to the nearest hospital. "If we get infected, Momma and the rest cannot follow, and we cannot come back until I am certain we are free of...whatever it is that is causing this illness. I won't have Triforia facing an epedemic as well."  
  
Without another word, they vanished.  
  
****  
  
When they teleported onto the bridge of the Megaship a short while later, everything was eerily silent. Fully functional, but silent, as if nobody had entered the area in a long time.  
  
DECA's light came on and blinked at them. "I am so glad to see you," she whispered, and they were startled to notice she sounded a bit scared. "They are getting worse all the time. Nobody is dead yet, here or in Angel Grove, but I don't know if it will eventually get that way. Alpha has his hands full."  
  
"Where are they?" Sharie spoke in a whisper, as if the silence of this place was forcing her to keep as such.  
  
"In their quarters. All are unconscious. The Dark Fortress is down and under quarantine, but Darkonda and Pirahnatrons are immune. They attacked, and the rangers were forced to fight, even in their weakened conditions. The power sustained them temporarily through the fight, but after that...once they demorphed, they did not wake back up. You'll find Ashley in Andros's quarters with him, and I think Carlos told you of our new ranger."  
  
"Yes," said Sharie as she hefted a medical bag on her arm. "He is the same mind I sensed unconscious here since the first time I set foot on this place two months ago. Let's go, Trey. Thanks for your persistence, DECA."  
  
The computer blinked, but did not say anything more.  
  
****  
  
They set about caring for the fallen rangers at once. Once they reached the hallway with the Ranger's quarters, the silence was abruptly broken by the sound of muffled, hacking coughing coming through the walls. Sharie shot a glance at Trey, and his worried eyes met hers. She had continued to drill medical training into his head, and while he was by no means a surgeon, he found he was very adept at medicine.  
  
It did not mean he had to like it.  
  
She gave him a faint, supporting smile, before turning and heading into Cassie's quarters. Trey sighed and turned into what he knew was TJ's quarters. He would never be entirely comfortable with medical occupations, and that was that, no matter how skilled he seemed to be, since he hated being helpless when nothing else could be done. Like it was his fault.  
  
****  
  
Sharie found Cassie curled in a fetal position on her bed, drenched in sweat and with a red face from fever. She was shaking, not only from coughing in her sleep, but from cold. Despite her fever, she seemed to be freezing. And no wonder, she had kicked her covers off.  
  
She did not notice when Sharie entered, she did not awaken even when Sharie touched her, then reached across to turn her onto her back and forcibly straightened her limbs. Her legs stayed straight, but her arms immediately crossed back to hug herself as she shivered harder, coughing and gasping for air as if they were her last breaths.  
  
Sharie touched the Asian girl's forehead, shocked to find it searing to her fingertips. "DECA," she asked of the air, "When did the Rangers first begin to display symptoms?"  
  
"Carlos gave the first indication yesterday morning, after he spoke to you before you left," said DECA. She sounded guilty about something.  
  
"What are you not telling me, DECA?" asked Sharie, noting this and not wasting words as she picked up the rumpled blankets from the floor, covering Cassie with them again.  
  
"I..." the computer stumbled, "I thought it was stress, and that was that. I basically told him to go rest, and I did not give it much thought. I should have checked into it further. I still don't know what is going on."  
  
"If you could detect nothing wrong, it was certainly not your fault, or Alpha's," said Sharie softly. "Don't blame yourself."  
  
She had picked up Cassie's wrist, and nearly dropped it as she felt how alarmingly high the pulse was, fast and furious as her body fought to get rid of...something.  
  
"I am a computer with full medical input and the ability to diagnose and cure," insisted DECA. "I should have thought. Why did I not?"  
  
"DECA, even if I could find nothing wrong at first, and the symptoms were not severe, I would probably assume stress or something else like it, also," said Sharie firmly. "It was *not* your fault. Get rid of the concept."  
  
She drew out a thermometer, and she turned Cassie's head to gently place it in her ear. She nearly shuddered. A hundred and three degrees! No wonder the poor girl was so miserable!  
  
""How have you been treating them, DECA?" she asked as she dug into her medical bag for a cooling strip.  
  
"I have tried various medications to calm their symptoms, for coughing, aching muscles, fever, nausea, and vomiting, and dizziness, but nothing has worked. I have tried every antibiotic and antiviral that would be relavent to such types of symptoms. Yet they continue to grow worse. Alpha has been running his gears out going from one room to the other constantly, and he cannot keep this ship in upkeep this way."  
  
Sharie nodded absently as she activated the cooling strip and placed it on Cassie's forehead, hoping the coolness of the strip would bring down the girl's temperature some. Meanwhile, she dug out a scanner, and as she expected, nothing came up on standard scans. Sharie frowned. "Her symptoms point to something...viral, I suspect, but I cannot find any evidence of it. Be it bacterial or viral, it is hiding itself well."  
  
DECA did not answer as Sharie sought to make Cassie as comfortable as she could. She listened to the girl's breathing, at the whispy, squeaky, wheezy sounds coming from her lungs, as she fought harder to breathe out more than to breathe in. It almost looked like an asthma attack, but Cassie, while she had allergies, had never suffered from asthma.  
  
Still, she reached for a bronchiodialator and face mask, filling the little chamber with medicine and holding it up to Cassie's face, hoping that eventually, with every breath, the girl would inhale more of the medicine, and it would take effect enough to dialate her airways more. the only bad side is it would probably increase her heart rate somewhat, as well. Sharie was relieved, however, when she did note slight, ableit temporary, improvment. The racket emanating from Cassie's lungs was not so loud, or as fast.  
  
When she had done all she could immediately do for her friend, she quietly left Cassie's quarters. The girl had not once sensed that someone was nearby.  
  
****  
  
Trey, too, was troubled. TJ was in bad shape, running a high fever and crying out deleriously in his nightmares between breathless coughs, yelling for someone named Jamal to watch out for that truck! before he got killed.  
  
It made Trey start, for he did not know if what TJ was seeing was memory, nightmare, or hallucination. Trucks on Earth, especially Semis, were dangerous, and he wondered how these people let such vehicles onto their roads....  
  
Shaking his head, he brought his mind back to the present. He ran the usual futile scans on the boy, he could find nothing wrong. All he could do was make TJ comfortable and force drugs into his lungs to improve his breathing.  
  
And worry. The teams from Earth had fought hard over the past several years to keep their world free, and they had succeded admirably so far. He did not want to see them beaten by this...this viral downfall.  
  
****  
  
Sharie felt like she had been kicked in the stomach once she entered Carlos's room. Gods, he looked like Death had already taken him! Save for his violently spasming chest, he lay as if dead! His face was red from fever, and as she touched him his skin seared hers hotter than she had felt with any of the other rangers. She was horrified to discover that his fever had reached nearly a hundred and five!  
  
His head started to turn, and he started to cry out her name, as if desperately calling her, holding on to her....begging her not to run off, to leave him, to come back to him. To make him whole again.  
  
As if she was his last ray of hope.  
  
"I am here, Carlos!" she said softly, clutching his burning hand and biting her lip. Inadvertently, her mind reached to his, trying to get beneath all that fever-haze and reach the true Carlos underneath it all, the calmer, more rational Carlos.  
  
*I am here, Carlos. I am real. I will not leave you.*  
  
There was a pregnant pause as she waited breathlessly for...something. She squeezed his hand and repeated the message, and she finally saw his head jerk, and his eyes blink blearily open, as if he was wanting to see her, but could not.  
  
"Sh...sharie?" he wheezed throatily.  
  
"Sh, I am here,"she whispered, hoping he was really seeing her despite his fever. "It is okay, Carlos. I am here now, and I won't leave."  
  
"H...here?" he whispered, trying to follow her words and not succeeding much. "S...stay..."  
  
"I will," she reassured his prone form, brushing his shoulder-length black hair out of his eyes. "I won't leave you again."  
  
****  
  
Which she was probably grateful for. She had just come out of Carlos's room when she heard frantic wheezing coming from the direction of....Andros's room. Sharie almost ran to find out what the heck was going on, the same time Trey came out of the Silver Ranger's room. He had sensed something was wrong, terribly wrong.  
  
Sharie made it to the door first and dashed inside. Andros and Ashley were where she had left them, curled side by side on the narrow bed. Since they seemed to find comfort in the other's presence, she did not bother to move Ashley back to their own room.  
  
But now Ashley, tightly wrapped in blankets, was sweat-drenched and pulling so hard for air she sounded like the high-pitched shriek of a strangling balloon whose neck had been pinched. Her face, already a dusky grey color, was rapidly taking on the dangerous hue of blue, a slack, deadly shade of blue that sent shiver's up one's spine.  
  
"Get me a bronchiodialator, the strongest you can find!" Sharie almost barked at Trey. He did not hesistate to obey, digging through the medical supplies until he found some Anperil, the intravenous kind.  
  
Sharie did not waste movements, she threaded the thin plastic tube to the intravenous needle and swiped Ashley's hand quickly with numbing solution before quickly inserting the hollow needle into the back of Ashley's wrist. This drug only worked by direct intravenous line or inhalation, it did not work by hypospray.  
  
Sharie felt her blood pounding in her ears for some reason she could not fathom. Why was it always so harder to do this with friends and loved ones than it was treating a complete stranger? She reached for an areochamber and filled it with more of the drug, and when Ashley's airways opened somewhat, she forced more of the substance down Ashley's bronchial tubes into her lungs, opening her saturated breathing tubes as far as they could be opened in this condition.  
  
At last, the Yellow Ranger responded, the gradual intake of oxygen into her system removing the deadly bluish cast from her skin and her wheezing was not quite so loud. Sharie slumped where she had been kneeling by the bedside, where Andros had stayed unconscious and unaware. She could not push the feeling that she and Trey had come just in time out of her head, especially if this was going to be a routine occurence. She rather hoped it was Ashely's childhood tendency toward asthma that had been the cause of this episode, nothing more.  
  
Boy, was she wrong.  
  
****  
  
For the next three long, horrific, and exhausting days, Sharie and Trey slaved to care for the fallen rangers. They did not dare take them to a hospital, for the hospitals were packed. Sharie also took time to work shifts there, leaving Alpha to help Trey care for the others. Her Aunt and Uncle were desperate for the help. Marisha, despite her pregancy, had already had a mild case, not even a cough, but had surprisingly recovered quickly. Still, she was pregnant, and Sharie was concerned because she was working so hard.  
  
Indeed, a few of the elderly could not take the strain of the new illness, and this, coupled with all the other health problems elderly are bound to have, was possibly the cause of their downfall, but they had already had so many other symptoms it was difficult to tell the true cause of death.  
  
Neither brother or sister slept much, catching a fitful hour or two here and there when they had the sick Rangers calmed down enough to where they could catch some Z's. And such opprotunities did not come often. Nor did they eat much, barely enough to keep up their weight. And after the battering their bodies had taken so recently, especially Sharie's, this was not good for either, but they ignored it as they fought to keep their friends alive. After two days, there were no real signs of illness in them yet.  
  
Yet.  
  
Late in the second day, Darkonda and the Pirhanatrons attacked again.  
  
Sharie, thouroughly tired by now, jumped when DECA sent off muted wails.  
  
"DECA!" She hissed as even the softer tone rang accusingly in her ears. "Turn that off!"  
  
Carlos, whom she was caring for, did not stir an iota. "What is going on?" Sharie whispered of the air. She already had a feeling she knew.  
  
"It is Darkonda and the Pirahnatrons again," said DECA softly. "In the same place they atteacked before, a few days ago. They are back."  
  
Sharie sighed. "Then Trey and I must go. These guys certainly cannot. It would kill them, and not from weapons blasts, I assure you. Even if the Power could rouse them to their knees. Have Alpha keep an eye on them. Trey," she said into her communicator, "come on. We've got trouble."  
  
****  
  
"I see *you're* back," snarled the bounty hunter as Sharie and Trey came to investigate. "Whatsa matter? The other power pukes too puked out to fight? They dead yet? A-ha-ha-ha!"  
  
"I am not laughing," said Sharie coldly. "Now, what do you want? Leave, or you and the pirahnatrons get it!"  
  
"Not for long," he gloated. "You've already been infected, I am nearly certain of that! All it will be is a matter of time until you are down, too, Triforian or not! Maybe I should speed up the process some. Pirahnatrons, attack!"  
  
Too dimwitted to do anything but obey, they did. They virtually leaped at the two Triforian rangers, eighteen of them crowding around the two souls that alone stood between them and destruction.  
  
Gods, Sharie hoped that Darkonda was bluffing. She did not say she felt a certain odd feeling behind the knees and in her stomach, she hoped it was merely due to exhaustion by her efforts to take care of her friends in this crisis. She said not a word, she simply ducked and whirled, catching as many Pirahnatrons off-guard as she could and tearing into them with a vengence.  
  
Still, even she doubted the fight should have tired her out as much as it seemed to. By the time she and Trey took out the last one, she was ready to drop. Of course, she had scarcely slept in the past forty-eight hours, either, and that had to be the reason.  
  
She felt a sharp pain in her lower leg as one of the pirahnatrons took aim and shot her with...a type of weapon she was unfamiliar with. She gasped, and sank to her knees, nearly overwhelmed by a sudden, spiraling dizziness.  
  
However, she managed to stagger to her feet, ignoring the pain and gasping, "I'm all right," to her worried brother's concerned questions. She paid no more attention to the throbbing sensations in her body as she took out the last pirhanatron for good.  
  
****  
  
For another full day, the siblings slaved away to care for their friends, and it was not until late in the afternoon of the next day that Carlos suddenly shivered, and broke out into a cold sweat. He uttered a deep, choked sigh, and his eyes opened, looking more clear than Sharie had seen them in days.  
  
She touched his forehead, then in amazement, reached for her electronic thermometer. Only a hundred!  
  
"Finally," she crowed as he simply blinked at her, as if seeing her clearly for the first time. "Your fever is lowering, Carlos! I think you have finally made it past the worst of it."  
  
He truly seemed to see her there for the first time. "Sharie..." he whispered hoarsely, vaguely remembering a faint memory from heavens-knew- when, when her apparition had felt so real, and reassured him as such. "You...are truly here? It...was not a dream?"  
  
She gave him a tired smile. "No, of course not. Trey and I have been slaving to keep you all alive for four days now. We came back from Aquitana II and found you all more dead than alive."  
  
Carlos closed his eyes, as if trying to remember....  
  
"yes....you went to find...somebody...your mother's sister...?"  
  
"Yes," she said. "And we found her. Shayla and D'tara, her father. They are on Triforia now. Trey and I won't let anybody else come, lest Triforia have an epedemic on it's hands like Angel Grove seems to have. The hospitals are packed."  
  
"The others..."  
  
"Are alive, if that is what you mean," Sharie yawned out the words, and sank back in her bedside chair. "But I think you are the first to awaken. And don't attempt to get up, you would end up flat on your face. Trey and I will attend to you until you can get back up on your feet."  
  
He nodded as his eyes fluttered shut. "Thank you, Querida. And...I love you."  
  
He felt her lips gently brush his. "I love you too, Carlos. Get well."  
  
As she slept fitfully beside him the hour or two of sleep she got that night, Sharie felt a heaviness begin in her chest and stomach. It made her heart twist in new fear. Suppose she was infected. She was Triforian. She did not know if it would be worse for her or not.  
  
And what about Trey?  
  
****  
  
From what little sleep he had gotten that night, Trey woke the next morning feeling completely exhausted. Not that that was surprising. He had slept less in the last...five days,now,than he usually did in one night.  
  
However, his chest felt a little too tight, and he did not like this. He and Sharie had taken every possible precaution, if they still became ill, it could not be helped by this udetectable...illness.  
  
He pushed his mild symptoms aside. By later the previous evening, all the Rangers had awoke, even the new Silver Ranger, Zhane. The poor kid had already been bewildered enough by two years of hypersleep, now this was even worse as two more strangers invaded the ship, as it seemed to him.  
  
Trey could not blame the kid, to wake up with a perfect stranger by his bedside, and he was glad to find out the Silver Ranger was the sort to quickly grasp a situation, even make weak jokes about it, the boy's sparkling sapphire eyes showing a quick wit and intelligence.  
  
Trey did notice, however, that when he first saw his sister that day, she was paler than usual. She seemed to be going through the routine they had developed more slowly than usual, and he could only hope it was nothing more than exhaustion.  
  
The other rangers were starting to weakly get back upon their feet, though they could not stand for long periods of time as yet. They also started to get their appetites back after a week of darned near fasting, save for what Alpha, Sharie, and Trey had been forcing down their throats and pumping through them intravenously.  
  
However, their coughs were still horrible, that was for certain. Whatever this was, it had completely saturated their lungs. No wonder they had felt as if they were drowning! Sharie was willing to bet their coughs would linger for weeks, and they would be constantly breathless and not very strong until then.  
  
"Tilt your head," she ordered Ashley tiredly but cheerfully as she prepared to read the girl's temperature. Ashley, her face pale, gave her a "help me" glance as she obediently tipped her head to the side.  
  
"You've stuck that thing in my ear so much, it is going to stick," she coughed as she felt that damned ear thermometer invade her ear canal. "Don't you have some type of scanner on you that can do the same thing?"  
  
"Not right with me. The rest of you are under quarantine until you can fully get around by yourselves, and that extends to Trey and myself, now, it is likely. The only exceptions is if you can get up enough strength to battle your foes if the situation arises. Not a peep has been heard from the Dark Fortress, DECA says, for a week. Their quarantine banners are still flying."  
  
"What do you mean...you and Trey?" wheezed the Yellow Ranger tightly. "I don't see you...with this guk."  
  
Sharie frowned. "I am not certain as yet, since I still don't know what is causing this. No matter what tests I run, I have not found any sign of a bacteria or virus, yet it exists."  
  
"Then what is the matter with you?" asked Ashley. "Do you ever get sick, Sharie? Not by battle, in other words?"  
  
"Rarely, but I have," Sharie said, then had to take two deep breaths before she could continue. "I don't know if what I am starting....to feel is due to exhaustion or...I don't know, really," she withdrew the thermometer, it registered 99.9 degrees.  
  
"Much lower than it was," she remarked to Ashley. Still, Ashley persisted. "Sharie, are you going to quarantine yourself and Trey? Why did you even come, when you knew you could probably get it?"  
  
Sharie lowered the device in her hand with a thump. "I don't know, Ashley. It is likely I will. And Trey and I took every precaution we could before we came. If we have this...whatever it is, it is not through lack of avoidance, I assure you."  
  
"You've slaved for...how long?" Ashley grumped. "Trying to take care of us. I would have though you would have been as deathly ill as we have been by now."  
  
Sharie shrugged. "We've been here for five days, and before that, you had been ill for two, DECA said. There are people in Angel Grove who are just now coming down with it. And," her voice lowered, and Ashley thought she detected a tremor. "Aunt Marisha told me Tami is starting to display early symptoms now, also. Aunt Marisha herself had only a mild case. Toby and Uncle Marek are as healthy as horses."  
  
That caught Ashley's attention. "What about her baby?" she asked, surprised and worried. "She is four and a half months, isn't she? Is the baby okay?"  
  
"As far as I know, the baby is healthy. Aunt Marisha was lucky this time." Sharie dropped the scanner she had been holding to brush her hair tiredly out of her pale face.  
  
"I think you need a nap," Ashley remarked over a cough. "Go on, I think we will be all right for a few hours."  
  
"No," Sharie shook her head. "I won't budge until you all can more or less take care of yourselves, with maybe Alpha's help. Trey can go, since he is about to drop, I can tell. If he's got it, then he is already worse than I am."  
  
Ashley slumped back down on the bed, but her eyes twinkled with her usual, good-natured humor. "So we get a chance to care for *you* all for a week?" she teased, coughing.  
  
Sharie was not amused. "No. If Trey and I get any sicker, you and the rest are not to come near us. I don't know if there is a chance of re- infection, but I won't risk it. Besides, the rest of you are going to be weak as kittens for a good many days as yet. No, I think Trey and I will be able to handle it."  
  
****  
  
Sharie jerked awake in surprise, startled to find herself on the bridge.  
  
*How did I get here?* she wondered vaguely, rubbing at her eyes tiredly. She glanced at the nearby time readouts, it was nearly an hour later than she last recalled.  
  
She yawned, trying to get her bearings, pushing her hair out of her face and trying to straighten up. She was surprised when she was overcome by a wave of dizziness as she tried to pull up, and she sat down again, hard, and felt an insistent pressure in her chest. She did not cough, but she slumped back, closing her eyes and crossing her hands over her stomach.  
  
"Sharie?" asked a voice, and she reluctantly opened her eyes to find her brother staring at her, looking rather concerned.  
  
"You okay?" he asked softly, sitting beside her and pushing her hair out of her face again. "I saw you had fallen asleep earlier, but you were so tired I did not awaken you. You look bushed."  
  
Her lips quirked despite themselves. Trey was white with exhaustion, his fingers were cold, and he was trembling, and he was wondering about how tired *she* looked?  
  
"I'll be okay," she mumbled tiredly, stretching. "I am just tired...how did I get here, anyway? I don't remember even coming onto the bridge."  
  
He frowned. "I think you did, you must have sat down and inadvertently fallen asleep. Speaking of which, are you hungry? Everyone else is asleep, and I don't think you ate this morning."  
  
Sharie glanced down at herself again. Over the past several days, it had been difficult to think of food when her friend's lives were in danger. Truth be told, if it had not been for DECA's constant, nagging reminders, she would have forgotten altogether about eating.  
  
"I'm not hungry," she mumbled, and it was truth. The last thing she wanted to do at the moment was eat.  
  
"I'm not either," he admitted, but still tugged on her hand. "But I won't have a repeat performance of the last few weeks, Lalinka. You were skin and bones two weeks ago, I don't want to see you like that again if I can help it. Come on."  
  
Reluctantly, she let him pull her to her feet. This time, she did not get dizzy, but the mere thought of food still turned her stomach. And from the way her brother picked at his food as well when they got to the eating area, his thoughts were among similar lines.  
  
****  
  
Sharie was strangely grateful that, by the afternoon, the Lightstar Rangers were shakily getting up and about. Their coughs were horrible, but Sharie thought--with their considerable urging--that they could take care of themselves, with Alpha checking up on them now and then. Their coughs would badly for days yet, but they would be all right, as long as they were not pushed.  
  
"Be careful, Querida," Carlos rasped as she checked on him one last time. "You have it, don't deny it. As soon as I can, I will come check on you."  
  
"No," she said firmly. "Don't. You could get sick all over again, and I won't have it. The second time could kill you, I won't take the risk. We will be all right."  
  
His deep, dark eyes told her he did not quite believe her, but he did not argue. He had a sense of foreboding hit his stomach as Sharie and Trey teleported out of sight.  
  
****  
  
Sharie and Trey headed towards her place. Sharie did not tell her brother how she ached all over, how she was constantly getting hot and cold, and the increasing tightness in her chest. She was sure she hear Trey occasionally stifling coughs, and it made her worry. For them to be ill was the last thing she wanted right now, but if it could not be helped....  
  
They materialized at the front door, and Sharie's arm hurt just to turn the doorknob. Her kittens came flying to meet them, mewing anxiously in worry. Since she had taught them to feed themselves from the dispensers, food was not a concern, but lonliness was, and she had been gone for a week almost without interruption. They would have been in the way on the Megaship, and they could have done nothing to help, being cats.  
  
"We're fine, guys," she assured little Topaz and Violeta, who still jumped upon her shoulders and nuzzled her anxiously. They seemed to sense that all was not well with them, and their persistent, anxious miows proved it.  
  
Sharie dropped her medical bag, which had seemed to grow heavier and heavier in the past days, to the floor with a thump. She literally flopped on the couch, her at one end and Trey at another.  
  
Topaz jumped into her lap, snuggling down and starting to purr, to reassure her that everything was okay, as was a cat's typical nature. Absently, she reached down to scratch behind his ears, and she felt his paws knead soothingly at her legs. Her eyes had been closed, and she opened them, lazily amused to discover Trey had rapidly fallen asleep where he was at.  
  
Actually, that did not seem like such a bad idea, and with Topaz purring and kneading her with his paws the way he was, it was soothing enough for her to curl up on her end of the couch and sleep to steal in and claim her, also.  
  
****  
  
She jerked awake suddenly, as if she had been in such a deep sleep a coma was not far behind. It seemed as if she'd had to pull really hard to come back to consciousness, and even her brain hurt from the effort.  
  
What had attracted her attention, though, was a sharp sound of coughing, not her, certainly, though the tightness on her chest warned her that she probably would be soon enough.  
  
When her eyes reluctantly dragged open, she was quick to notice it was Trey. It made her start, and when she sat up, protesting pains from her aching joints shot through her like a thunderbolt. Topaz, who had been sleeping in her lap, quickly jumped down and out of the way with a worried, "mew?"  
  
She ignored her burning arms and legs.. Trey was coughing, and in his sleep. His hue had gone from pasty white to red, and when she took his hand, she dropped it in shock. It was hot with fever.  
  
Her hand quickly raced up to his forehead, and she rapidly estimated the degrees without the aid of a thermometer. She guessed that she was not far off from a hundred and two degrees, which was worse than for a human because a Triforian had a body temperature of around 97.1 degrees farenheight, a degree and a half below an average human.  
  
Her body protested sharply as she fought to stand up. So it was indeed the illness, though it had taken it's time to appear. Maybe the inoculations she had taken had retarded it temporarily, she did not know or really care at the moment. What was important was to somehow get Trey upstairs to his room. She was not sure how this illness would be on a Triforian, and she wanted to get him where she could keep an easy eye on him for as long as she could before she succumbed to the illness herself, before she was forced to call in her Aunt Marisha or Uncle Marek for help. They were already too busy as it was.  
  
"C'mon, Trey," she mumbled, shaking him. Her personal strength had diminished, there was no way she could carry him upstairs. "Wake up. You have got to get upstairs. A couch is a lot less comfortable, I think."  
  
He seemed to have a hard time rousing himself, and she glanced at the wall clock. Shock ran through her. Four hours! It was late afternoon! It had felt like twenty minutes to her exhaustion-numbed body.  
  
"Trey..." She called again. Why didn't he respond?  
  
At last his eyes opened, barely. At first, he seemed not to see her, for his gaze was unfocused and his expression confused. It was only after several moments that his vision cleared.  
  
She stared into his eyes until he acknowledged her. Hell, he was acting like he had color withdrawl! But his tunic was gold-lined. That should not be a problem.  
  
He shook his head, as if disoriented, and immediately winced in pain, his hand coming up to cover his temples. Sharie, too tired to keep her mental barriers up past average, felt his painful wince mingling with her own headache.  
  
"Sharie..." she heard him faintly whisper. "What time..."  
  
"We've slept at least four hours," she informed him quietly, for if her ears were ringing, surely his were also. "Come on, you're worse than me. Go to bed."  
  
She ignored his thin protests as she tugged him to his unwilling feet. She was dismayed to discover he was so weak by now he could barely stand, and she herself was not strong enough to do more than support him. Climbing the stairs seemed an impossible challenge.  
  
Somehow, though, they made it. Sharie pushed her brother into his room and onto his bed. Trying to control the trembling in her own hands, she pulled the covers over his shivering form, and he promptly fell back asleep, not even bothering to undress.  
  
Sharie flopped into one of the chairs in the room, trying to catch her breath. Sedately, she sat there and resigned herself to caring for her brother now, as long as she could. After that...gods, she did not want to overburden her already busy family, and poor Tami was sick now, on top of all they had to do.  
  
As the afternoon waned completely into evening, Sharie continued to look after Trey as best as her protesting body would let her. She noticed a reddish cast coming over her skin, and chills kept gripping her so hard she was forced to sit, shivering, until they passed. The painful tightening in her chest became even worse, so she was constantly short of breath, and she felt herself stifling coughs so Trey would not hear them.  
  
However, by now Trey was so ill it made her seem healthy by compairson. His coughing became constant and hard, he gasped for air between bouts like they were his last breaths. His skin might have been red with fever, but a ghastly grey color formed under his fingernails and on his lips.  
  
When Sharie first noticed this, she did not know where she got her own strength, but she suddenly found enough energy to run to her room and dig in her closet for the human-style nebulizer her adoptive parents had used on her the few times she had had acute asthma attacks, due to her rare allergic reactions. Trey's lungs were too clogged for a normal areochamber/inhaler device.  
  
Sharie somehow managed to lug the heavy thing to his room and shove some albuterol into the little container near the face mask. She tried to awaken him and could not, and she felt her pulse leap out of control and unwanted images of death spring to mind.  
  
*You're a doctor, Sharie Triesta,* she thought weakly. *You are not supposed to panic!*  
  
Wearily, she pressed the mask to his face and held it there with a trembling hand. "C'mon, Trey, breathe, damn it," she whispered hoarsely over a cough. "I won't have your death on my hands or my conscience."  
  
She was startled as he suddenly gave a short, hard cough, and draw in a raggedy gasp. The medication, designed for a human, must have done something for him, for he suddenly jerked in awareness and a hand flew up to cover hers on the facial mask. He drew in another unsteady breath, but it was more clear, and his eyes blinked open, hazily and unfocused.  
  
"Thank gods," she whispered, slumping for a second as her adrenaline surge came to an end.  
  
She lifted her eyes to meet his again. "Keep breathing, Trey," she said softly as his hand stayed to support the mask so she could withdraw hers. "Gods, you gave me a terrible scare."  
  
A sigh escaped his lips. *Do not expect it to end so suddenly, Lalinka,* she heard suddenly in her mind, weakly though the attempt. With his other hand, he reached up weakly to touch her hair reassuringly. *You need to go to bed yourself. You look horrible.*  
  
"Have you looked in a mirror lately?" she asked with a wan smile. "I am healthy compared to you--though for how long, I have no clue." She sighed and suddenly coughed hard enough that she could not quite stifle it. His free hand suddenly groped for hers and clutched it as tightly as his weakness would allow.  
  
*You belie your own words, Lalinka. Get some rest.* his mental voice echoed softly into her mind.  
  
"Maybe when you go back to sleep," she responded aloud, suddenly feeling so exhausted she had to sit down on the edge of the bed. "I've already slept more today than I have in the past three."  
  
*That is no excuse. You will be as sick as me before long, I'd wager. Then where would we be? In the end, it may affect us worse than it would a normal human.*  
  
"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," she said firmly, but she could not disguise a weak wheeze in her voice as she spoke. She did not voice the fact that he was very likely right.  
  
****  
  
Ecliptor came awake suddenly, aware that he was on a very hard floor. His eyes opened blearily, he became rapidly aware of his surroundings. Astronema's quarters. The floor. He had collapsed....  
  
*Astronema!* He tried to rise, and becamed angered at how his body sluggishly responded at best, and he could not get higher than his knees. He could not stand....  
  
Astronema still lay on her bed, the grayish color of death. His breath caught in acute fear, he crawled over and placed his fingers to her neck for a pulse, his heart nearly stopping itself until he felt a rapid, weak thrumming beneath his fingertips. Her breathing was tight and wheezy, but she was still breathing. The nourishment tube he had somehow managed to insert still was working, feeding her intravenously at regular intervals when he had become too weak to do it any longer.  
  
Still, she did not respond to his touch. Her skin was cooler now, but likely that meant nothing. It was like she was in a coma, probably unable to sense or hear him in the slightest, and there was nothing he could do. Nothing at all.  
  
He dragged himself over to a console, trying to see the date and time. What he saw made him nearly black out again. Two days! He had been unconscious for two long days! Surely Darkonda had done something drastic, like take over the Dark Fortress....  
  
But no, he found out, when he investigated further, weakly settling on the stool and his fingers barely obeying his commands to work the controls. The quarantine banners were still flying. Trade vessels, other vessles, even Dark Spectre, hanging on the fringes for some reason, were giving them a wide berth. Darkonda and the pirahnatrons had disappeared again. It seemed nobody was willing to go to Earth and conquer Angel Grove in the middle of this epidemic, unwilling to catch it themselves. The last time Darkonda had attacked, the Zeo Duo had answered the call. It seemed the Lightstar Rangers were still down, like every member of the Dark Fortress crew.  
  
Another fit of coughing caught his attention, Astronema was caught in another wave as her saturated lungs tried and failed to dispel what was caught there. Ecliptor sighed as he dragged himself over to her bedside. *Please, princess, do not die on me....*  
  
****  
  
Sharie awoke, gasping. The instant she sat up, breathless, she doubled over, coughing. A severe wave of dizziness caught her by surprise, and she moaned softly as she lay back down on her bed, pushing her nightgown over the still-raw wound where the pirahnatron had shot her. She did not understand why it was failing to heal. It should have been gone withing hours. Instead, it was healing sluggishly and did not interfere with her walking, so she did not tell Trey.  
  
The walls of this house suddenly seemed so thin, for she could easliy hear Trey hacking and coughing even harder in the next room. It had developed an odd pitch that worried her even more, for it vaguely reminded her of the few times in her life she had had an asthmatic reaction. But as far as she knew, Trey was not truly allergic to anything.  
  
She had kicked off her covers, and when the next wave of chills came, she could not reach for the blankets in time. A wave of coldness ripped through her fevered body causing her to shiver and jerk every-which-way. She forced herself to curl in a fetal position, pulling her gown below her feet and shoving her hands backwards into the sleeves to conserve as much heat as possible. Such training she had forced herself to learn so long ago it was instinctive by now, for survival in the wildreness, but she never dreamed that she would have to do it on her own bed, in her own bedroom.  
  
She could not have been colder if Antartic winds had been blasting through her room windows, but at last the wave of chills passed somewhat. She uncurled her body and reached for her covers immediately, even though all her jointes ached. She pulled the covers up over her head, huddling underneath them, trying to get completely warm again.  
  
It did not last for long. This night from hell seemed never to end as she suddenly broke out into a sweat, and she kicked the covers back off, and lay there, gasping for air that seemed so dry and hot to her tongue she wondered how she could breathe at all, and the coughing in her sore chest made it even hotter.  
  
Fate had likely intervened so that she would awaken then, for she became aware of her brother entering another coughing spell in the next room. The odd, worrisome pitch she had been concerned about became much louder, and even more sharp.  
  
A shiver ran through her, and not of coldness. It was a shiver of fear. Hot as she was, she grabbed a blanket from the foot of her bed and threw it around her as she attempted to stand.  
  
Yeah, right. The floor rocked beneath her and she fell down, her wrists catching her before her face hit the floor. She lowered herself completely to the carpet as she was rewarded for her efforts with a fit of coughing. She was forced to wait until it passed before she attempted to rise again.  
  
Leaning onto the wall for support, she made it down the short stretch of hallway to the next door. She staggered over to Trey's bed, trying to clear the fog from her mind to accurately assess his condition as she switched on the bedside lamp.  
  
His skin was red, as usual. But when she touched his skin, she jerked it back sharply. Gods, his temperature had to be at least a hundred and three, two degrees higher than she had last checked! She lifted his wrist, his pulse was racing madly, racing to keep him alive. And of course, she could hear the condition of his lungs just fine.  
  
"Trey!" she hissed, shaking him. "You must wake up!"  
  
He did not respond.  
  
She was gripped by another chill of fear. She shook him harder, calling out to him as much as she dared. When his eyes opened at last, they were unfocused and clearly did not see her. He was delerious.  
  
"Oh, gods," she mumbled, wondering frantically what to do. His lips had a bluish cast again, get him breathing again. Find some way to reduce his fever without chilling him through and killing him. Try and make it until morning, for likely Marisha and Marek would be by to check on them.  
  
She was afraid that by then, she would be nearly as far gone as Trey was now. Then what?  
  
As her fingers clumsily managed the nebulizer, she thought about what was affecting them. Why had it waited five days, and then hit them so suddenly and severely, especially Trey? All those inoculations they had taken, had that somehow staved it off, however temporarily? If they had not been treated, she suspected they would have gotten ill, right away, and this was turning out to be more severe than what was affecting an ordinary human.  
  
The albuterol was not having the effect it once had. "Zeo Medkit!" she wheezed, and it obediently flashed into being before her. Fumbling, she selected a syringe full of Adrenaine compound, and without ceremony injected it into Trey. He made no sign that he noticed the needle prick into his arm.  
  
At last, the combo of drugs seemed to work, and his breathing eased up again, however temporarily. Wearily, Sharie shoved the nebulizer back under the bed and managed to push herself back onto the foot of his as she attempted to regain her strength to move again.  
  
"Lalinka." A weak, weary rasp caught her by surprise. She started, and looked into Trey's dark eyes. They were a little less clouded, obviously he had become aware that she was there and had been taking care of him again.  
  
"Stay here, Lakinka," he rasped. "If you tried to go back to your room....you would not make it."  
  
This was true. Her legs no longer complied to support her. Her lungs would not stand it, either. She would have passed out in the hallway.  
  
He fumbled for her hand, and she reached up obligingly. Her hand was now nearly as hot as his. She stayed in this stretched-out position until he fell asleep again, then withdrew and curled up on the foot of his bed, wondering if she would make it to the couch, at least.  
  
****  
  
"Oh, my....Marisha! I found them!" Neither occupant of the room seemed to really hear as Marek found them at last. The doctor ran out of the room and back down the stairs. He met his wife at the foot. "I've found them. They are in his room. They have it, and gods knows how they managed to survive this long. They look dead."  
  
He caught her hand and pulled her back up the stairs, leaving Toby downstairs to keep and eye on Tami, who was worse now and had already been placed on the couch. The boy watched them run upstairs with wide, scared gold eyes. He had not lipread their conversation and did not know what was happening.  
  
"Oh, gods," exclaimed Marisha upon entering the room. "How long have they been here like this? I know Sharie did not look too good early yesterday morning, but I did not imagine it could hit *this* fast or this hard."  
  
Marek lifted the blonde girl from the foot of Trey's bed. She moaned and coughed, but otherwise made no outward sign she was aware he was there. She scarcely seemed alive at all, and Trey even less so.  
  
Marisha had already come back with blankets and pillows from Sharie's room, Marek placed her on the couch in Trey's room and covered her up.  
  
"Did it hit in so fast they could not do anything about it?" he wondered as he pulled the covers up. He reached for a thermometer from his own medkit and turned his neice's head so he could place it in her ear.  
  
"A hundred and three," he said, not liking this. Her skin tone was red with fever, but was turning grey around her lips and under her fingernails. "No doubt Trey is much the same. I can tell Sharie took care of Trey for a time, though, considering it all. Marisha," he said, making a decision. "Forget taking the kids to a babysitter. I will go to work as usual, but somebody needs to stay and care for the kids here. I think Sharie took care of Trey for as long as she could, but she is no longer in a position to do anything. I will set up a cot for Sharie in here, and then you put Tami in Sharie's room. Find some way to keep Toby busy so he does not go nuts with worry. The hospital will just have to accept one less doctor for awhile, unless I am forced to admit Sharie and Trey into the hospital myself."  
  
"What?" said a hazy, squeaky voice. Sharie's feverish purple eyes were open, and she had clearly heard this. "Uncle Marek..."  
  
"You've been in the hospital before, Sharie," he chastized gently, touching her feverish forehead. "You can again. I will take personal control of your cases in case I have to. You know the excuse, 'genetic anomalies.' Trey is your brother, he can have the same."  
  
Sharie nodded weakly and closed her eyes again, unable to stay conscious. She could not think, she could not move. They must have come, found her and Trey, and moved her to the couch...  
  
She was only vaguely aware of the sounds of an unfolding cot, then her uncle's strong hands lifting her up and transporting her through the air across the room as Marisha carried in Tami, with an anxious Toby in tow.  
  
"I cannot keep running between two rooms," she thought she heard her aunt say. "Tami can go on the couch. But the baby is kicking up a storm and I don't have the energy for two sickrooms."  
  
Even more vaguely, she heard her uncle agree, and then the roar in her ears doubled, and she knew nothing more.  
  
****  
  
"I cannot allow you to come," said Marisha softly but firmly to Jeanette over the comm system. "You would catch the illness as well. I am running after three sick people here, Jeanette, two of them kids, and I don't want to have to look after a fourth because you won't listen to me."  
  
She felt sorry for Jeanette, especially since the woman very much wanted to be with her children while they were so deathly ill. But she knew that Marisha was right. Jeanette could infect all of Triforia if she came.  
  
"All right," She agreed somberly. "But I want updates as often as you can, all right?"  
  
Marisha readily agreed to this. "Fine. By the way, how's the sister-- Shayla, I believe her name is."  
  
"She is a wonderful woman," said Jeanette, smiling faintly. "Just remarkable. But she is worried about Trey and Sharie, and poor Delphine is climbing the walls, so to speak."  
  
"Sharie and Trey took every possible precaution," Marisha reminded her. "This illness did not come on for lack of trying, I assure you. I can hardly keep Carlos out of here, either. But little is known about this illness. I don't want to risk having Earth's rangers reinfected, if it is possible. Some of Earth's other former rangers are already hospitalized-- Tommy Oliver, Jason Scott, Katherine even. Adam Park just *left* the hospital yesterday. It's a mess."  
  
"I understand," Jeanette whispered. "And I hope to Triune's Peak that they all recover. Besides, Sharie and Trey have a visitor here they have not seen since Sharie was four. He wants to see them again--soon."  
  
****  
  
All Sharie could sense was fire. Fire burning in her lungs. Fire raging painfully in her head. Fire accompanying the ringing in her ears. Fire burning through her joints, searing them into uselessness. Fire in her stomach, that would not let her hold anything down.  
  
She could not wake up. Delerious nightmares haunted her, and Marisha and Marek both had to forcibly hold her down as she screamed, raging against some ghostly form of Dark Dresden they could not see, or do their best to comfort her when she sobbed for her brother and was thinking he was dead by Dark Dresden's hand. She whimpered other things, too, things they could not imagine her ever having experienced, but she obviously had.  
  
She also called, over and over again, for Carlos, as if he was there but she could not touch him. It got to the point that Marisha almost considered bringing in Carlos just to keep her calm, but she dismissed the idea quickly. She would not have that boy ill again, no matter what.  
  
Trey was, at times, in a similar state, crying out piteously in a Triforian dialect they were hardly familiar with, only catching broken phrases that were also part of the common tongue. He called alternately for some woman named Nikita, for Sharie, and for Delphine.  
  
Marek sat down tiredly at one point to answer the Comm system again. It was Carlos, as white-faced and weak as ever, but determined to persist in calling.  
  
"She's the same," he said before the hispanic boy could even form the question. "I am doing everything for her I can, Carlos, outside of taking her to the hospital. It is an idea I am greatly entertaining at this point."  
  
Carlos nodded, coughing. "If you think you can pull it off without them finding out the truth about where Sharie came from."  
  
"I can, I have done it before," he sighed. "Carlos, who is Nikita?"  
  
Carlos looked surprised. "What?"  
  
"Nikita. Trey keeps crying out for her in his delerium, or warning her against something. Do you know who she is?"  
  
Carlos paled even further, then slowly shook his head. "I don't know."  
  
"You are a damed no-good liar, Carlos. I normally don't pry, but whoever she is, she caused Trey a lot of distress."  
  
Carlos sighed. "I promised Sharie I would not tell. That is all I may say. It is only something I, Sharie, Trey, and Jeanette, I think, know. And maybe Delphine. Nobody knows that Sharie told me."  
  
Marek said good-bye. He just had to accept this as another mystery of Sharie's past...or rather Trey's this time. He did not want anything to happen to the girl or the boy. He loved Sharie like his own daughter, before the twins had been born, he and Marisha had almost literally shared custody of the girl with her adoptive parents. But Trey was seeming more and more like a second son to him. Losing him, he suspected, would hurt just as much.  
  
****  
  
Late the afternoon of the next day, the final straw came for Marek. He had had to force the nebulizer on Sharie three times in as many hours just to keep her breathing, as well as large doses of isoproterenol. She had become worse and worse, until her condition had become worse than Trey's. Her fever hovered at nearly a hundred and five, Trey was barely lower.  
  
And Marisha had discovered the wound on her leg. It shocked her, for why had the power not healed Sharie like it should have? All she could fathom was that the illness was making her healing sluggish.  
  
Tami was much worse as well. Her fever soared to a hundred three, and she was often not aware of the world around her, even when Toby clung to her hand tightly. He could not maintain telepathic contact at all with her.  
  
"That's it!" snapped Marek, putting away the nebulizer after treating Sharie for the third time. "Bundle them up in blankets while I bring the van around. They are going to the hospital. Now. They need further medical attention than I can give them here, and I won't risk making a mistake in Sharie's ultrazord medical bay. Even Tami is going. This has got to stop."  
  
"I believe you are right," said Marisha, secretly relieved. She moved to quickly get them ready, and it was Marek who carried them, nearly lifeless, down one by one to the van, and drove them to the hospital. They were not even aware they were being moved.  
  
****  
  
Carlos swore silently, afraid that if he uttered it verbally, he would hit another coughing spell that would make him black out again. The hospital! Gods, it had to mean they were nearly dying! Already, they were worse than what his team had been at their sickest! If Sharie died, especially after what had happened in this past month....  
  
Her words of promise still rang in his ears, as she made him swear to never follow her deliberately if she ever died. He clenched his fists with new effort. Hang what Dr. Marek Thoene said! He was going to see Sharie somehow, even if he had to disguise himself and sneak into the hospital to do it! And if he got sick and died, and Sharie died, then who would care? He would not. He would at least be with the woman he loved in the afterlife, no strings attached!  
  
****  
  
Marek *was* grateful that nobody asked questions about the few differences between his neice's physiology--that and Trey's--and that of his own. They all knew Dr. Sharie Triesta, she had a few different genetic twists by birth, it simply was that and nothing more. So it was no surprise when her 'long-lost' brother had similar differences.  
  
Marek had to end up hooking them up to respirators and heart monitors, and intravenous lines to battle the dehydration that had set in. He and Marisha took strict control of their cases, so much as to prevent the discovery of their secret. Since they were so well-respected by the medical community, this was no surprise and nobody questioned them. Besides, the good residents of Angel Grove were so used to the weird and unusual, what did it matter? Nothing really surprised them anymore.  
  
Marek felt like dropping from tiredness as he made his rounds. Three of his charges included former rangers in various stages of the illness, he mused. Jason was recovering and would be able to leave the hospital in a few days. Tommy had it full-blown, at it's worst, and poor Kat was just getting bad enough to where she had to be admitted.  
  
"What's buggin' ya, man?" asked Jason around a cough as the good doctor examined him. "You look more worried than usual."  
  
Marek glanced at him, toyed with the thought of doctor-patient confidentiality, then dismissed it. They were his family, and the boy was a former ranger. He deserved to know of his comrades.  
  
"It's Trey, Sharie, and my own daughter, Tami," he sighed as he took Jason's pulse. "They are ill, and I was forced to admit them recently. They are here."  
  
Jason looked shocked. "That's awful! And they are Triforians--how are you going to keep others from finding out--"  
  
"It is not a problem," said Marek tersely. "But they are too ill, I could not keep caring for them at home."  
  
"I hope they get better, man," said Jason sympathetically. "I am keeping my fingers crossed."  
  
"Thanks, son," said Marek, smiling. "Now, here is a classic doctor's command. Open your mouth, say 'ah', and try not to gag too much."  
  
Jason laughed around a cough before he obeyed. Tommy, in the bed next to his, made no indication that he had heard anything. He was unconscious, oblivious to the world.  
  
****  
  
Two more long days passed in oblivion. Sharie and Trey remained hooked up to the respirators, and no longer railed out in dlerious cries, but it did not mean much. Their fevers remained high. The only noticible improvement, so far, was that Trey's lungs seemed to improve--just slightly.  
  
A young nurse, barely twenty, was sitting by the window, busily knitting and staring outside as she remained in the room to keep an eye on the two siblings she had been hired to help care for.  
  
Though her head was not turned in his direction, Clara Sutter was instantly aware when Carlos slipped into the room. She said, without looking up and without dropping a stich, "Your name, please, and relation to these two."  
  
"Carlos. A friend."  
  
She finally turned to face him, her blue eyes regarding him,but she did not pause her knitting. He was pasty-colored, and had the look in his eyes she had come to recognize in pateints these past days. He had been ill, certianly. "Technically, you should not be here. You have had the illness?"  
  
"Recovering."  
  
"There is a possible risk for relapse, you know."  
  
"I don't care. I am *tired* of Dr. Thoene preventing me from seeing my girlfriend." Carlos sounded suddenly very, very frustrated, and he coughed slightly.  
  
Her knitting paused, and she regarded him thoughtfully, undecided. "You are Dr. Triesta's boyfriend?"  
  
Carlos nodded. No one had to tell Clara that he loved her. It was in his eyes, the haunted, worried love that was in the inky black depths.  
  
Clara hesistated. "I do not want Dr. Thoene--either of them--having my hide for letting you in here."  
  
"You won't, Clara," said Marek tiredly from the doorway. "I knew that eventually, he would disobey me. Ten minutes, Perez, not a moment longer. I won't be held responsible for your relapse, hear?"  
  
"Yes, sir," Carlos gave him a grateful smile. He sank gratefully into the uncomfortable plastic chair beside Sharie's bed, taking her scorching-hot hand in his. She made no response, but he did not care at the moment. He was just grateful to be by her bedside again.  
  
****  
  
Astronema shivered suddenly, and a sweat broke out over her forehead. It caught Ecliptor's attention, and he moved over to her quietly, glad his legs finally were starting to obey him again.  
  
Astronema drew in a wheezy breath, and coughed, but it suddenly did not sound as severe as before. Her hazel eyes opened, and for the first time in a week and a half, were not so clouded by fever.  
  
Still, she looked confused. "Ecliptor?" she squeaked.  
  
"I am here, princess," he said, gratefully sinking by her side. She was going to live, he was suddenly certian of it! "What do you wish?"  
  
"Ecliptor...what time is it?"  
  
He wondered how to tell her. "It is...Astronema, you have been unconscious for a week and a half."  
  
"*What*?" she cried out, and coughed so hard she could not get her breath.  
  
"It is true, princess. We are under quarantine, have been since the virus escaped. Everyone on board is down still with the sickness. Only Darkonda has launched any attacks on the Rangers, and even he has not for several days now. They are recovering--all but Sharie and Trey. They are hospitalized, and so severe it is likely they could die, last I heard."  
  
"Damn that Elgar," she hissed angrily. "Where is that coward?"  
  
"Sick and holing out in his room, I imagine. No one has really bothered to check on him since he played with squiggly. The illness has destroyed half of our quantron fleet, more are dying and Dark Spectre won't give us a new crew until the illness is banished and the Dark Fortress comes out of quarantine."  
  
"And Angel Grove? Damn!" she hissed.  
  
"Still in the throes of an epedemic. No certified deaths as yet, but it may have played a secondary role in the deaths of some people already ill. But it is starting to show signs of tapering off slightly."  
  
"Damn!" she hissed again. "Not only is it dishonorable to attack a disease- ridden people--not to mention dangerous--I cannot even send down a monster because it would break our quarantine. The rangers are recovering, too!"  
  
"They will be many days in recovering, princess," he soothed. "Maybe we will recover soon and be able to kick them while they are still down. I think you and I both are going to live through this."  
  
She groaned and slumped back down on the bed. Her eyes closed in spite of themselves, and she fell into a weary, but naturally healing sleep. Ecliptor settled against the wall beside her, and closed his eyes, allowing sleep to claim him, also.  
  
****  
  
A few hours later, Carlos had managed to slip back inside, and since he did not seem worse for the wear and either Dr. Thoene were too tired to raise more objections, he encountered no more difficulty staying.  
  
Clara Sutter was still there, her fingers still busily knitting as she sat beside the window, the afternoon sunlight catching on the needles and flashing as brightly as her fiery red hair.  
  
She did not pay much attention to Carlos, knitting in slience, only occassionally asking if she could get him anything. Once in a while she got up to attend to some matter for Trey and Sharie that needed tending to, or stepped out for personal reasons, but other than that, she remained where she could keep an eye on these two. She had her feelings and suspicions about these two unusual people, but she kept her mouth shut. It was not her place, and she was a bred-and-born Angel Grove citizen. She was too used to the unusual to care anymore about differences.  
  
Carlos simply sat, holding onto Sharie's hand and doing nothing. He was afraid that if he left, something bad would happen. He would stare at the TV set once in a while, but since a lot of the news seemed to be about the epidemic, he did not care to watch it.  
  
At last, there was a faint moan from the other side of the curtain. Carlos looked up and for a moment, his startled gaze met Clara's. She laid aside her knitting and went to where Trey was lying across the room.  
  
****  
  
Trey shivered as he suddenly came back sharply to awareness. A cold sweat broke out on his forehead, and sudden bright lights seemed to assault him beneath his closed lids. He was vaguely aware of someone placing a cooling pack on his forehead, and the surroundings he could sense were strange.  
  
A tube was going into his nostrils,it must be forcing him to breathe somehow, for his lungs were so saturated he felt as if he were suffocating. He turned his head slightly, and his hand flew to his temples at the sudden assaulting pain that seared him.  
  
Carlos had gotten up and had tenatively followed Clara around the curtain, he saw Trey move his head and his dark eyes blink slowly open, dazed and confused, but lucid. A sudden relief swept through Carlos, if Trey was finally waking up, surely Sharie would be all right.  
  
From what Trey could tell, a woman in a nurse's uniform--the type used in human hospitals, he somehow noted--was by his bedside, monitoring him somehow. She quickly glanced at him, and suddenly he saw Carlos in the background--pallid-colored, tired-looking, but there.  
  
Trey tried to speak, and found he could not. It was impossible, he was too breathless and all the effort afforded him was a coughing spell.  
  
"Don't try to talk," said the nurse softly, as if she knew how much his head ached. "Can you understand what I am saying to you?"  
  
Weakly, Trey nodded his head. "Where...?" he somehow managed to gasp, and coughed again.  
  
"You are in the hospital," said the woman, lifting his wrist and feeling his racing pulse. "Hmmm, not as fast as it was. You're skin's cooler, also."  
  
Trey shot his questioning gaze to Carlos, who sensed his question. "Dr. Thoene brought you in here two and a half days ago," he said softly. "You have been unconscious since before that."  
  
Trey sighed and turned his head in frustration. The last thing he remembered was Sharie giving him some sort of breathing treatment....he had gone back to sleep and suffered nightmares since then.  
  
Sharie! He turned his head and managed to gasp the word.  
  
This time Clara answered him. "Dr. Triesta, your sister? Other side of the curtain. She is still in critical condition, but since you are awake, I am more optimistic she will recover."  
  
Trey wanted to suddenly scream in sheer frustration. Critical! Wasn't that just one notch above "hopeless?"  
  
And he could do nothing. How long they had lain there until Marek and Marisha had found them, he had not a clue. It seemed as if he had been unconscious for years, and if Sharie died, he might as well give up. No way was he going to go through this again...  
  
"Open your mouth," said Clara suddenly, holding a type of digital device in her hand. "I need to take your temperature."  
  
He raised an eyebrow, but obeyed, feeling foolish. How humiliating to have to be this way, waited on hand an foot like an infant! Helpless as a newborn. What about the in-the-ear devices he thought were used?...  
  
It beeped after a moment, and the nurse removed it. "I'm Clara Sutter, by the way. Hm, a lot better than it was, about 101.6." She made a note on her chart. "I'll go alert Dr. Thoene that you are awake. Excuse me."  
  
She left, shutting the door behind her. Carlos took the opprotunity to come forward, under Trey's scrutinizing, quesitoning glance.  
  
"Wondering how you ended up in a human hospital?"  
  
Trey nodded.  
  
"Marek brought you, Sharie, and Tami in. Tami's recovering in the next room, by the way. It happened a few days ago, I guess he got sick of watching you all get more and more ill, and he felt he could care for you better here. He and Marisha are taking personal control of your cases, to minimize the chances of discovery."  
  
*Pull back the curtain.* Carlos blinked. Trey's mental "tone" was weak at best, and for a moment he did not understand.  
  
*Pull back the curtain. I want to see her.* It came a little stronger this time, and Trey seemed to slump with the effort.  
  
This time Carlos understood, and moved to obey, pulling back the curtain so he could see Sharie lying there, limp, with a red cast over her skin, hooked up to gods-knew-what, and grayish-blue around her lips, the color slowly seeming to spread.  
  
Carlos started. *She was not that blue a few minutes ago....* He blinked and tried to control himself before Trey really noticed. The young Lord of Triforia did not need this worry. He would mention it to whichever Dr. Thoene came in the door.  
  
Trey, meanwhile, closed his eyes and turned his head. Gods, he could not bear to see her like this, on top of everything else. Still....  
  
*Leave the curtain open.*  
  
Carlos nodded as Marek came in the door, clipboard in hand. "Ah, Trey, Clara told me you are awake at last," he said, a bit more awake himself now. "You know the circumstances, if Carlos here spilled?"  
  
Trey nodded as Dr. Thoene, as his nametag regally said to call him, quickly gave him a once-over. "Better, I can tell. Carlos, why is the curtain pulled back? You know the rules."  
  
"Trey wanted it that way," Carlos defended. "There is something I must show you..."  
  
He whispered in the doctor's ear, and quickly Marek moved over to Sharie's bedside, turning her limp face toward him as he noted the spreading grey- blue color. "Not again," the Doctor mumbled, frustrated, feeling her hot flesh rapidly turn cold, especially her hands, as the blue hue to her skin took on a deadlier shade and spread to every part of her body.  
  
As if on cue, Sharie's heartbeat shot up way out of control, she started to shake, and the monitors attached to her sent up a wailing alarm.  
  
Dr. Thoene ran around the edge of the bed. "Back, Carlos! Wait in the hall!" he snapped at the boy in black. Carlos quickly obeyed, while Trey turned completely white.  
  
Dr. Thoene did not even hesistate. He bolted for the door, shouting down the corridor. "Get that medical team in here! We have an emergency, code blue! Her lungs are shutting down again!"  
  
Trey was caught in a feeling of horror, knowing that he could do nothing, absolutely nothing, as Clara, another nurse, and Marisha rushed in, dragging a cart with special equiptment on it.  
  
He watched helplessly as they forced some sort of tube down her throat and attached bags of...something to her intravenous lines, injected her with who-knew-what.  
  
It did not seem to help.  
  
A rather purplish shade began to spread over Sharie's already-blue skin, enhancing her cyanosis even further. A low, rattling, strangling sound escaped her lips, but they refused to fill with air.  
  
Trey could not tear his eyes from this vision of horror. He felt an invisible hand reaching into his chest and gripping his heart, trying desperately to yank it out.  
  
This scene, it looked so much like when Nikita had died, emergency staff trying and failing to do anything.....  
  
"Give her an extra 5 cc's!" cried Marek, and Clara quickly filled a syringe and injected it into Sharie's exposed arm.  
  
Sharie did not even wince as the needle pierced her skin. Rapidly Clara removed one empty bag of liquid from the IV hookup and attached another.  
  
Sharie was now thrashing on her bed, and the other attendants could hardly force her convulsing body to stay still. Marek, himself struggling to work over the instinct to freeze in horror at seeing his niece die right in front of him, doggedly kept on, filling another syringe himself and injecting it straight into her her IV drip.  
  
He cast one ferverent glance at Trey, noticing how grayish the boy had become. Marek's tortured gaze told him, "We're doing the best we can."  
  
If he'd had the time, Marek would have pulled the curtain to hide this from happening before Trey's eyes, but he was so busy nobody noticed.  
  
Somebody removed the respirator tube from Sharie's face and placed on it instead a mask with an inflated bag attached. Rapidly, Clara took it from the attendant and began squeezing it rhythmically.  
  
Sharie's heartbeat was wildly out of pitch now, alternately slowing dangerously and beating so fast Marek could hardly count them.  
  
"Give her the strongest dose we can give," he whispered to Clara, though Trey heard perfectly. Marek gave Trey another worried glance, seeing that Trey was no longer really watching him, it was more like he was seeing straight *through* them--and, just barely, his lips were moving.  
  
*He's praying!* Marek realized with a start. *Please, Trey, then pray for both of us. Otherwise we're going to lose her.*  
  
Clara came rushing back with something in her hands. Quickly it was attached to the breathing apparatus, and quickly Clara began squeezing the bag again rapidly, several times.  
  
This had to work. Sharie's heart was about to give out for good.  
  
Quite suddenly, a rasping sound was heard wheezing it's way through Sharie's trembling chest. The medication finally seemed to work, for gradually, Sharie stilled, and she started to breathe again. In fact, she drew in great gasps, for they had hyper-flexed her bronchial tubes, and they were temporarily more open than they had been in days.  
  
Marisha sighed and slumped against the wall, crossing her hands over the gentle swelling where her baby grew beneath her frantically-pounding heart.  
  
Marek drew in a great breath, seeing Sharie's heartbeat on the monitor gradually began to slow. He went over and placed his arms around his now- weeping, exhausted wife.  
  
"We did it, my dear," he told her gently, rocking her, as the attendants quietly took the emergency cart and exited the room, all but Clara. "She'll be all right, she's more stubborn than about anybody I've ever known."  
  
"We-we could have lost her! So many times she could have died over the years!"  
  
"And each time, she's bounced back," he soothed her, barely noticing a white-faced, tear-streaked Carlos slip into the room and slump by Sharie's bedside, grasping her now-white hands and resting his face in the crook of her neck, in her blonde curls. "This time is no different."  
  
Marisha hiccuped against him, but did not say anything more.  
  
"Come now, calm down," he continued comforting her. "You must, for the sake of the baby."  
  
Wordlessly, she nodded, wiggling out of his grasp, wiping her tearstained face with the back of her hand. She reached over a numb-faced Carlos, who was staring ahead at absolutely nothing at the moment, and straightened Sharie's covers for a moment, before walking around to Trey, her hand on his shoulder shaking him out of his trance.  
  
Her lips trembled and her golden eyes vainly attempted to smile at him.  
  
"I'm sorry you had to watch that," she said quietly. "You did that earlier, but nowhere near as badly as this. And then you started to recover. Hopefully, now, she will too."  
  
Trey barely nodded. Marisha could see the tears of agony in his eyes, ones he did not let fall, but she also saw gratitude, to her and Marek, for saving his sister's life.  
  
Somehow, she sensed he had seen something like this before, but did not dare ask him. What a wound it would rip open if it were true, although from how Carlos had behaved, she wondered if the name Trey had been calling out while unconscious, Nikita, had anything to do with it.  
  
"Rest now," Marisha whispered. "Otherwise you'll relapse."  
  
Trey nodded obediently, but said nothing. Sleep? After seeing that? He doubted it!  
  
But Clara, quietly so as not to intrude, came over and injected something into his IV line, and moments later Trey found himself growing incredibly drowsy. With Carlos remaining slumped by Sharie's side and Marisha obviously spending her break in the room guarding them as well, his eyes closed and he knew nothing more.  
  
****  
  
When Trey next woke, the following morning, he found he could breathe more easily now, though they still would not take that *damned* tube out of his nose. His cough was horrible and he shook all over.  
  
However, he was gratified to see that all signs of death-colored hues were gone from Sharie's flesh, and the fever-induced redness did not seem so intense. He dared to hope she would awaken soon.  
  
When Carlos appeared, he seemed to agree. He slipped over and took Sharie's hand, and suddenly smiled. "Thank goodness. Not as searing as it was yesterday."  
  
He had important news, and when Dr. Thoene came in, he told it. "DECA has finally found out what has been making us all sick. It is a virus, an alien virus. It had to have been unleashed by accident, because the Dark Fortress is still down, barely stirring. Astronema could be dead, for all we know."  
  
He drew some papers out of his pocket and handed them to the good doctor. "Here, maybe you could use this. It is what the virus is made of, with DECA's suggestions for a human vaccine. Innoculate those who have not had it."  
  
Marek nodded and hurried out at once to take it to the lab. Carlos sighed as he sank down on the chair beside Sharie again, to patiently wait. Trey could do nothing but stare at the wall. He could not sleep again, now that his mind was clear and he could really think again.  
  
Suddenly Carlos jumped up, and turned beet-red. He started to pace. "I'm sorry, Trey, I have something else to say. DECA is working on another inoculation for Aquitians and Triforians. Your mother is getting more and more impatient, and she says she has a visitor you have not seen in years she wants you and Sharie to see. I don't know who, though. And that...Shayla or whatever her name is, Jeanette says she is anxious to see you again, too."  
  
Trey nodded. Now that the fever was gone from his brain, he could think clearly, and he remembered what had happened before they had started to care for the sick rangers....The diary, the search, and Shayla, it all came tumbling back.  
  
There was a sudden, ragged gasp from across the room, and Carlos glanced over as he saw Sharie's wrist twitch slightly. He got back to her as she moaned softly, her eyes blinking slowly open as he took her warm hand in his.  
  
Her violet gaze was confused, clouded. Carlos wondered if she saw him at all, or comprehended where she was. A red hand came up to rest against her temples for a moment, he could see pain suddenly gathering in the back of her eyes.  
  
"Querida?" he asked softly, touching her forehead, which suddenly felt cooler than he had last remembered it. "Do you know who I am? Where you are?"  
  
Her brow furrowed for a moment, then she nodded imperceptibly, wincing with pain again. Her small mouth opened, then shut. She couldn't talk, and she was too weak, he suspected, to send anything telepathically.  
  
He suddenly saw her eyes flash panic, and coughs tear from her throat. It almost detracted his attention from her hands, he saw her fingers tremble as they slowly formed the manual alpahabet letters for T-R-E-Y.  
  
Once the meanings of the letters dawned on him, he nodded his head in the direction across the room. "He's over there...and watching you."  
  
She blinked, and managed to slowly turn her head in his direction, to find her brother watching her intently, unable to mask the worry-or relief-from his eyes. She managed to smile at him, an apologetic smile for worrying him. She vaguely recalled--when?--a horrible burning sensation spreading out through her entire body, more than once, but this time had been worse than most, her brain on fire from lack of air--  
  
It was in his eyes. He must have seen it.  
  
Vaguely, her hand jerked in a "don't worry" gesture, before shaking and lowering it again. His misty eyes did not reassure her tired mind.  
  
Marisha came in, drawn and looking ready to drop. Her golden eyes widened, though, and she smiled to see Sharie awake at last. She had nothing against reaching over and hugging her neice lightly. "Dear, you don't know how glad I am to see you awake finally. You've been in the hospital for three days, now."  
  
Sharie jerked in surprise, and she pulled back. Three days? Her eyes questioned her aunt.  
  
"Yes, dear, three hellish days of worrying about you, Trey, and Tami."  
  
"Tami?" Sharie mouthed the word, for her vocal cords and lungs both refused to cooperate at the moment.  
  
"She is fine, Sharie. She awoke yesterday morning, at last, and she is recovering nicely. She wants to come in to see you, but that remains to be seen." Marisha shook her head as she suddenly thought of something. She pulled back the covers to Sharie's bed, exposing her leg and the wound that was hardly healing at all. "How did you get this? You've had it at least since Marek and I found you, and it won't heal like it should. Your powers should have made this gash disappear in a matter of hours at most."  
  
Sharie shrugged, her fingers fumbling as she spelled p-i-r-a-h-n-a-t-r-o-n a-t-t-a-c-k. It took a second for Marisha to comprehend this, and she sighed. "Gods, will this never end? There must have been something, some sort of residue, in that energy blast, or you would not be healing so slowly. Ever since the twins got graced with the Zeo Warrior Powers, what they seem to talk about the most is how their weapons are put together, and how they work. Although the powers are doing good to keep them out of harm's way."  
  
****  
  
Even though his attacks had not even seemed remotely successful, Darkonda chuckled. He had scored one point, at least. The potshot his quantron had taken at the violet ranger was not a typical energy blast. That violet menace was going *down*, and she had no idea that it was her body's reaction to her own powers that would ultimately kill her.  
  
****  
  
Astronema could stand it no longer. She was sick and tired of sitting or lying down in bed, she felt much stronger, and she wanted to get up. Ecliptor was afraid that such a stunt would land her on her face, but she pushed back the covers with a determination.  
  
"I can *do* this!" she snapped. "For two weeks now, I have not left that bed. If I don't, my muscles are going to atrophy, and I'll go insane!"  
  
"Suit yourself," he growled, and did not bother helping her. He cared, but she had done nothing but whine today as her enforced covalescence grew. She might have to learn the hard way.  
  
She gripped the wall and placed her weak legs on the floor. Putting as much of her remaining strength into her arms, she shakily made her way to her feet.  
  
"There, you see?" she said trimphantly over a cough. "I am fine. Now if I only had some quantrons--"  
  
"You don't have enough to sneeze at, Astronema," he said guardedly. "Nine- tenths of your fleet was cut down by the virus. You have less than a dozen total on board, and they are guarding the place. You cannot create or order a monster to attack, not while we are under quarantine. And we will be until the last one of us recovers completely, and this whole place is fumingated to kill any viral infection lurking in the air."  
  
"Damn!" she hissed, and he touched her arm lightly as she gratefully sank back down onto her bed. "I do have some interesting news from Darkonda, though."  
  
"What?" she mumbled dejectedly.  
  
"Seems one of his pirahnatrons managed to hit Sharie with an energy blast from that new weapons design of his. Poisoned her connection to her powers. Her own powers will kill her eventually, and she won't know what hit her."  
  
Astronema shrugged. It would be a relief to be rid of that violet menace, but how unorthodox could you get? She wasn't really sure what to say.  
  
****  
  
Late the following day, over her uncle's better judgement, Sharie and Trey were released from the hospital. They were so weak they could hardly walk unaided, but Sharie was unwilling to have them stay any longer than necessary. It was pretty obvious by now that she and Trey would live, as long as nothing else came along and imperiled their health further.  
  
While she was grateful to have a clear mind once again, Sharie hated being this way. She and Trey were temporarily residing in bedrooms on the first floor, so they would not have to trudge up and down the stairs when they lacked the energy to really do so.  
  
Sharie still sort of leaned on the walls as she walked about the place, but she refused to wear pajamas anymore. Simple shorts and T-shirts sufficed, and she was grateful that this time, she had not lost weight--at least, not noticably--for her ordeal.  
  
Her purple eyes drifted to the calendar, and she suddenly felt all her blood pool to her feet. The date! She had lost all track of days, and tomorrow was Trey's birthday--and hers.  
  
She wondered if this was a fact he remembered, for she knew exactly what she was giving him. Trey detested people who depended on material wealth, but sentimental value was another matter, and she had something she knew he had longed for most of his life, and had never been able to find.  
  
It was called a Tai'pan stone. Clear as crystal, encased protectively around the edges in beautiful metals, it had a nearly unique ability to play a different song for every person who picked it up--playing a haunting melody that usually meant a lot to the person holding it. Or, it could be requested to play a certain song for an individual.  
  
She knew Trey had tried much of his life to find such a rare prize, but he never could. They were incredibly rare and priceless. She had come by hers when she was thirteen, and had saved a merchant vessle from being pirated. He was grateful, and had offered her the stone as a reward--at a reduced price. Even as a master barterer, she had still paid a huge sum in intergalactic goods to obtain such a stone, and had often felt it was worth every last gram she had paid. It had comforted her in her lonliest hours in space, and she knew Trey would prize it highly--if he did not protest it as being too expensive or priceless.  
  
She also felt it was time he had another outlet for his emotions, and she wanted to introduce him into writing more, just to see if he would find it worthwhile. She was planning on giving him a journal as well, and hoped he would use it to his best advantage. She often felt better after spilling in her diary or journal, and she felt maybe he should try it as well.  
  
"Boo!"  
  
"Ahhh!" she jumped, and almost fell as she whirled to stare into her mother's happily twinkling eyes. She had come!  
  
"Mother!" Sharie cried, flinging her arms around her. "You came!"  
  
"Did you think I would not?" Jeanette answered. "DECA finally got that darned inoculation to me. By the way, Shayla is here also--and somebody else. Where's Trey?"  
  
"In the bathroom, getting dressed. He will be out--"  
  
"Hi, mom," said her brother, coming out and his dark eyes lighting up to see her.  
  
"About now," Sharie finished with a smile as she watched mother and son happily reunite.  
  
"I am glad to see both of you," Jeanette repeated as Trey released her. "You don't know how badly I wanted to come--I was about to come anyway, and hang the risk, when DECA called me and told me about the inoculation she and Alpha had developed. So here I am, and Shayla--"  
  
Shayla came around the corner at that instant, and saw them coming. She bounded over with a grin on her face.  
  
"About time you two showed up! Ill for days, and making us all worry ourselves sick because you wouldn't recover," She teased. "I won't have it where I hardly get to see my neice and nephew for the first time, just to have them check out on me days later!"  
  
Her purple gaze flickered to Jeanette's matching ones. "Have you told them who's here?"  
  
"Not yet. Wait until they see!" She looked at her son and grinned. "You two haven't seen him since Sharie was little, but he finally showed up again. It's--"  
  
"Hello, Trey, hello, Lalinka," said an achingly familiar, soft voice just as they rounded the hall corner.  
  
Sharie stiffened for a split second in shock. Only three people had ever called her that, her father, Trey, and--  
  
"Uncle Tristain!" she shrieked, somehow managing to find the sudden surge of adrenaline that made her bound into his outstretched arms. His arms closed around her and would not let her go.  
  
He was her father's only brother. And he looked exactly like him, and only a year younger. There had been almost no physicall difference between them while they were alive, and even now, there was none, the merry dark eyes that twinkled at her, shadowed by fine, dark hair, were exactly like the ones Trey had inherited.  
  
"My, Lalinka!" he smiled a large, flashing smile at her. "How you've grown! You are a woman now, I see!"  
  
"A woman, maybe," She laughed. "Not grown up. You must be blind to not see how short I am."  
  
"Nonsense. You'll be eighteen tomorrow. You might still have a couple of inches in you."  
  
"You've grown almost half an inch since you and I reunited," said Trey, speaking to his sister while hugging his uncle himself. "Don't say it is not so, I have noticed."  
  
"You've noticed half an inch?" Sharie sounded amused.  
  
"Sure I noticed. You thought I didn't?"  
  
Tristain sounded amused. "Well, I can see you two have not changed much. Word finally/i reached me that you were alive, Lalinka, and Jeanette as well." He glanced at Jeanette, and a sudden look passed between them that made Sharie and Trey exchange glances. "I had to come back. Besides, I believe that we have a couple of birthdays tomorrow, no?"  
  
Now it was Sharie and Trey who looked at each other. "You are right," Sharie admitted. "Just before mother scared me, I had just realized what the day was."  
  
"Me, too," Trey admitted. "I had lost all track. You had better like your present, Lalinka. I had a hard enough time finding it."  
  
She smiled at his teasing tone. "You had better like yours, too," she said. "It is something I know you have wanted--but that's all I will say."  
  
"Our family reunited, Lalinka, and Delphine at my side, is all I ever want," he said, smiling warmly as he pulled her close again. "The past few months I have realized some important dreams."  
  
"Me, too....and some of my worst nightmares," she leaned into him for a moment. "But I would live it all over again if it meant that you guys would stay alive, and safe."  
  
****  
  
Very, very early the next morning, Sharie awoke. She and Trey were alone in the house again, since her family and the others would not arrive until later that morning. She stood up and stretched, happy to realize that her cough was not so darned intense. Weakness lingered in her arms and legs, but she knew it would fade in the weeks to come--at least she hoped so. She did not say that while Trey seemed to be getting stronger, her dizziness and fatigue seemed to be lingering on, and she did not understand why. And the wound on her leg was only about half-healed by now. It bothered her, but when she did scans, she could find nothing that would explain it. And she did not say anything. She was certain it would be only temporary, and her brother had enough on his mind as it was.  
  
At the fringes of her mind, she could sense Trey beginning to stir as well. He was up already? Mr. Lie-abed?  
  
Inadvertently, she smiled as she headed into the adjoining bathroom to bathe and dress. She brushed her long hair, but simply put on a headband and let the shimmering gold strands hang loose instead of wrestling it into a knot on her head. She was too tired for that.  
  
She stopped and glanced into a mirror when she was done. *Eighteen years,* she mused. By Earth standards, an adult. By Triforian standards...well, it would depend. Full adulthood was achieved at age 25 on the planet that she had been born to. But there, even, since she was a Ranger and because of what she had been through, she was considered an adult.  
  
*Am I really?* she thought, gazing at her pale reflection. *Have I grown up? Have I always been that way emotionally--and my body is just now catching up?*  
  
It was a question she did not know the answer to--and was sure she did not really want to know.  
  
She scowled at her reflection for a moment, then stood up and put it out of her mind. It was Trey's birthday, as well. And his presence in her life was the best present she could think of.  
  
Her thoughts drifted to her mother and Uncle Tristain. Of course, she had known of the torch her poor uncle had carried for her mother. She had overheard his private thoughts on the fact that from the first time he had set eyes on Jeanette, he had fallen hard.  
  
But since his brother, Teryan, had gotten to Jeanette first, he had stayed silent and never sullied his honor, or hers. She had known, but had never felt more for him than a brotherly type of affection.  
  
Until after Teryan's death. He had shown up for the first time in Sharie's memory when she was four, and he and Jeanette had resumed their friendship. He did not dare take it further just because his brother had died and left her a widow--his sense of honor was too strong.  
  
But Sharie, even then, had not been blind to the fact that he still suffered, and she had known when her mother's feelings started to change. She and Tristain had grown closer throughout Sharie's fifth year, and Sharie had little doubt that their relationship would have happily blossomed if the Dryserans had never attacked. Sharie's abduction and Jeanette's disappearance had ruined any chance he might have had with her.  
  
But now, of course, Jeanette was back, and now Tristain had showed up again. Sharie had not missed the looks passing between them....she doubted that her mother and uncle even realized they were doing it. Privately, she was sort of glad--her mother was lonely for companionship and desperate for the love she had once known, and her bachelor uncle needed to settle down.  
  
Would it bother her? Sharie considered the question, then shrugged it off. Probably not. She loved her uncle as much as she had her father, and if he could ease her mother's lonliness and his own heart, then so be it. Her uncle was a wonderful, virtuous person who needed some stability in his life also, and she would not mind if he and her mother got together. Somehow, she doubted Trey would mind, either.  
  
*Although it would feel a little odd calling Uncle Tristain 'Father'....* she mused idly as she went to the closet to dig Trey's birthday gifts out of it. She pushed the thoughts of her uncle and mother aside as she pulled out the journal, a leatherbound book with a lock and an attachable pen. It did not have dated spaces so Trey could write as much or as little as he liked.  
  
She had wrapped it in earth-style giftwrap, smiling at how Trey would probably be more amused by the silly novelty of the wrap than he would the journal. Still, she hoped that he would see the practical use of such a gift, maybe he would even get into the habit of writing. She suspected he had a hidden talent for the written word like she did, and this would be a good way for him to discover it.  
  
The Tai'pan stone she simply kept wrapped in a handkerchief. She did not dare touch it with her bare skin because it would start playing, and she did not want to chance Trey hearing it. She slipped it into her pocket and went out into the living room.  
  
She was mildly surprised to find Trey already sitting there, a mischevious grin on his face. He glanced at her and his eyes lit up.  
  
"Morning, Lalinka," he said softly, reaching out to hug her. "Happy birthday....gods, I am so glad to finally celebrate it with you again, I cannot tell you how much."  
  
"I can sense it," she smiled, kissing his cheek lightly. "That tells me plently. Happy birthday, brother dear. I have something for you--a couple of things, actually."  
  
"I have something for you, too," he said softly. "And I want to go first. Close your eyes and promise you won't look."  
  
She nodded obediently and closed her eyes, suddenly feeling giddy like a little girl again. *shame on you,* she tried to think to herself, to no avail *Looking forward to presents!*  
  
She smiled inadvertently as she felt the coolness of metal clasp around her wrist as he fastened...something onto it.  
  
"You can open your eyes now," he intoned, and she did...and gasped.  
  
Suspended on a thin gold chain was a small, heart-shaped crystal that glowed faintly pink and seemed alive with it's gently vibrant colors, as if it glowed with some kind of inner power. She had never seen anything like it before.  
  
"It is beautiful," she breathed, wondering what expense he had gone through to get his hands on something that did not look like an ordinary piece of crystal jewlery. It truly dazzled her eyes. "I hate to ask this...but um...what is it?"  
  
He chuckled warmly, happy because her reaction was more than he had hoped it to be...it showed in her eyes. "It is a rare kind of crystal," he confessed. "It has some inner power to sense a person's moods....pink means happiness...and love. As long as you wear it, it will change with your moods...sometimes, it is said, it will glow a second color in attempt to cheer a sad person up. I don't know it for certain, though."  
  
Her eyes were misty as she reached over to hug him again. "I will keep it always, I assure you, Trey," she whispered. "I've never had anything like it before...thank you. I love you, you know."  
  
He hugged her tightly for a moment before he let her go. She reached behind her for the gift-wrapped package she had brought with her. "Here is one of your gifts," she said, pushing it into his hands. "And don't say you are too old for presents. Hogwash."  
  
Actually, that was what he had been about to say, but he smiled and shut his mouth, then grinned at the wrapping. Several little clowns appeared to be singing, "Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday--whooptie-do, whooptie-do." He laughed softly, knowing Sharie had meant it as a joke. Humans seemed as obsessed with the outside of a package as the inside, it seemed.  
  
"Should I tear it?" he whispered. "Or is it the custom to open carefully?"  
  
"It depends on the person," she giggled back. "But if you want to make me happy--tear it."  
  
He smirked, but did as she asked, digging his fingernails into the paper and tearing it with one rip to free what was within.  
  
He inhaled a breath of surprise. A leatherbound book, with, in old High Triforian, the words "Trey's Journal" were embossed in a golden color on the cover. It had to be something she had made herself or gotten a Triforian friend to do, few humans had any knowledge of their language. But a journal?  
  
"It is..." he started to say, but she interrupted him.  
  
"It is a good way to write your thoughts down," she informed him softly. "And a good outlet. I just want you to *try* it, Trey. You can write anyting in a journal--you would be surprised at what you could come up with. I think that there is a writer's soul hidden behind the Ranger, anyway." She smiled at him.  
  
"I sing, not write," he quipped, but smiled anyway. Suddenly, he was struck by the fact that she was right. He did like to read, and poems often sprang to mind as often as songs did to his music-obsessed brain. Maybe he could do something with this journal after all.  
  
"Thank you," he whispered ferverently, hugging her tightly. "You are right, Lalinka. I swear you know me more than I do myself."  
  
"Not true," she contradicted, but smiled. "But it is not hard to deduce some basic facts. I think you will use the journal well, but I have something else for you also....something I know you have always wanted."  
  
He shook his head, puzzled. He was not one to chase after material wealth, after all....  
  
"Something you have always wanted very much," she continued. "Close your eyes and hold out your hands, Trey."  
  
He raised an eyebrow at her, but then obeyed. Sharie took the Tai'pan stone out of her pocket and unwrapped it from the handkerchief. The crystal glittered and glowed rainbow colors as she carefully placed it in his hand and closed his fingers firmly around it, just as it began to play, "Anghelityeta", his favorite song and a special one to both of them.  
  
She heard his inhaled gasp of shock even before his eyes flew open. He stared af the softly glowing stone unseeingly for a moment, as the hauntingly sweet melody reached his ears and straight into his heart. His eyes flew to met hers, and saw nothing but love and pride in her purple depths. She had known. She had *known* of his secret obsession of finding something like this. And she had managed to somehow get ahold of one....they were so precious and rare it cost a fortune he hardly dared to think of. And she had *given* him one, without hesistation....  
  
His lips trembled, and all he managed was, "Oh....Lalinka..." before he caught her against him, crushing her to him as he trembled. His suddenly damp face pressed against hers, and his hand clenched around the Tai'pan stone as it began to play their special song once again.  
  
"I love you, Trey," he heard her whisper faintly, and he dimly felt her lips lightly brush agianst his face. He pulled back and stared into her bottomless purple eyes again as he tried to formulate some kind of response.  
  
"Lalinka....I don't know what to say..." he whispered, choked.  
  
She reached up and brushed her hands against his damp face, drying his tears. "You don't have to say anything. I can see it in your eyes."  
  
Stubbornly, he shook his head. "This...this goes way beyond words, Lalinka....I...thank you, oh, thank you so much....so very much. I...I love you, little sister....gods, I am blessed to have you in my life again." Trembling, he hugged her again, and she relaxed against him.  
  
"I knew how much you wanted one," he heard her whisper dimly. "So I gave it to you."  
  
"It must have been hard to come across," he sniffled softly, pulling back to look into her eyes again, his fingers running lightly over the stone. Because of her, it had come to mean much more to him. Because she had thought of him enough to give him something so rare and precious. The only thing in his life that mattered more, at the moment, were those he loved.  
  
She looked a little sheepish. "I've had that stone since I was thirteen, Trey. It has comforted me many times in my lonliest hours...I decided to give it to you, hope it would mean as much to you as it did to me."  
  
He nodded, smiling, and her hand came to cover his as the stone started to play the song again, and they let it play them into their daydreams....  
  
A short while later, though, he pulled back and looked at her a bit more clearly. "Where did you get it, Lalinka? Considering how long *I* have been looking for something like this...."  
  
She smiled a slightly different smile as she remembered. "Well..." she admitted, "I did come across it by accident....sort of. I had helped a merchant ship that had been attacked by pirates. He had the stone, and in gratitude, he offered it to me...at a discount. Still, it was an enormous sum I paid for it in intergalactic goodes." She shrugged. "It was worth it though...then and now, seeing your reaction. As I said, it has lessened my lonliness many times. Now I hope it does the same for you."  
  
"Oh, it will," he promised her with a soft smile. "It will."  
  
****  
  
"Happy, birthday, Trey, Sharie!" cried the Astro Rangers in a chorus of giggled words as they teleported in without a hitch. Trey and Sharie grinned, amused, but blushed at all the attention. Sharie had warned her brother not to say anything about not needing presents, since his friends were going to do it anyway. And it was true, heaps of the things were pushed into their arms.  
  
Carlos must have mentioned Trey's musical interests to the others, for that constituted a lot of his gifts. He got a lot of CD's of various musical types, which he deeply appreciated. Cassie, the other musician of the group, had previously asked Sharie about Trey's ability with musical instruments, and the Pink Ranger astonished the Gold Ranger with an electronic keyboard--small and portable, but able to make hundreds of notes and perfect for a traveling ranger. She also gave him copies of Beethoven's originals music sheets for him to play, though with his memory, she doubted he would need them long.  
  
Sharie found herself with a variety of things--A new diary from Cassie-- *ironic*, she thought--, a designer outfit from Ashley, the fashion queen, yet more music CD's from TJ, and books on Kerovian literature from both Andros and Zhane.  
  
Carlos hung around until he would have been last, and then he stepped forward with a sly grin on his face. "Were you thinking I had forgotten you?" he teased gently.  
  
"Carlos!" she hissed, laughing softly. He kissed her to silence her, then pressed a small box into her hand. "Hope you like it," he whispered.  
  
She smiled softly, then obligingly lifted the lid on the box--and gasped in surprise.  
  
He had gotten her a ring, but the design on it exactly matched her pendant that she never took off! It was the same tri-moon design--a full moon on top and two crescents facing each other below it, triangular fashion, and surrounded by cryptic Triforian writing. The only differences were that the stones were sapphires instead of the strange blue crystals on her locket, and built to a smaller scale.  
  
Her eyes misted over. "Oh, Carlos..." she murmured as she reached out to hug him. "Thank you! I've never had anything like this before!"  
  
"I love you," he murmured back, kissing her lightly. "So I got you something that was different and yet familiar to you. I can read the Triforian letters--that is how I remembered what your pendant says--but I have no idea what the encryption means. But I made sure the jeweler duplicated the design I described to him exactly."  
  
He smiled as she planted another hard kiss on his lips, and he held her there for several seconds before their giggling friends teased them about coming up for air.  
  
Trey's family arrived a bit later, and Sharie's human family, and Delphine. and all the Triforians but Sharie found themselves introduced to how humans celebrate birthdays. When Sharie mentioned to her brother the meaning of candles on a birthday cake, Trey looked rather horrified.  
  
"There is *no way* I am going to allow you to put 2,518 candles on *anything*!" he said. "Not to mention it is impossible!"  
  
Sharie laughed outright. "No, of course not. I'm just going to have a ring of candles around the edges. Nothing more, nothing less."  
  
He felt his cheeks heating with another blush as somebody turned out the lights and Marisha came from the kitchen with a rather large cake, glowing with candles. He was glad the darkenss hid his colored face when everyone started to sing the Standard language version of Happy Birthday.  
  
"Wait!" said Carlos loudly when it was over. "I have another song we are going to sing first!"  
  
Sharie felt her whole body turn red from suppressed laughter as everyone started to sing again, this time in the Triforian tongue--albeit somewhat clumisly. Their accents made the words sound terribly funny, but they could be understood. She wondered who had coached them--Marisha and Marek, or Carlos since he now had a basic understanding of her language.  
  
"Did we get it right?" asked Cassie when they finished, laughing breathlessly. "I don't know what the individual words mean--we could have been pronouncing it wrong or something. Carlos only said it was the Triforian version of the song, and I just played along phonetically."  
  
Sharie finally laughed aloud. "We could understand you," she chortled. "Your accents are pretty raw and funny-sounding--but it was a wonderful surprise and well-done, nontheless. Thank you."  
  
"Blow out the candles!" Sharie saw her cousin Toby sign. "Although I have to admit--more than 2500 candles on that cake would have been an awsome sight!"  
  
"And a fire hazard," Sharie signed back, looking teasingly at her own brother. "Imagine fifty thousand."  
  
Trey poked her. "You are making me sound old, Lalinka," he said, but a smile in his eyes and on his face told her he did not really mind.  
  
"You are incredibly old compared to their thinking of what old is," she told him in their own tongue, and Carlos smiled and chuckled behind his hand as he realized he understood.  
  
"Oh, blow out your candles," laughed Marisha. "And don't forget to make a wish." Delphine had been beside Trey, she stepped back as brother and sister looked at each other.  
  
*I wish that being eighteen will be completely different from being seventeen,* Sharie thought.  
  
*I wish that whatever my life path leads me to do, it will be the right decisions,* Trey thought, then at the same moment, they took a deep breath, and blew out the candles in one great big iwhoosh/i.  
  
There was a burst of applause, and everyone was nearly blinded as the lights came on. There was another chorus of "Happy birthdays," before everyone settled down to enjoy themselves and pig out on all the goodies.  
  
****  
  
Sharie bit her lip as the day wore on, and she and Trey were not oblivious to the secret looks passing between her mother and her uncle. They were enough for Sharie to think that she would be surprised if they were not already lovers.  
  
When she caught a moment alone with her brother, she hesistantly voiced this thought. "What do you think, Trey? Or am I just seeing things?"  
  
"I think so, too," he admitted softly. "Mother has been lonely enough, and it is high time our uncle settled down....does it bother you, Sharie?"  
  
She shrugged. "It is all right with me, I guess. It is not as if our mother does not honor and cherish Daddy's memory. She will always love him, but I can tell she loves uncle Tristain, too. People can fall in love more than once, you know."  
  
A faint shadow crossed over his face, and she knew he was thinking of Nikita. He brushed the thought aside and smiled softly. "I know they can. Well, if they see fit to do this, who am I to stop them? But," he shook his head, "imagine calling uncle Tristain 'father'."  
  
****  
  
In truth, Jeanette had not yet approached her mixed, strong feelings for her brother-in-law. She had loved Teryan, that was true, and always would be. He was her first and greatest love, and she would always honor and cherish his memory.  
  
And she was also tired of missing him, of being so darned unbearably lonely for some aching sensation buried deeply within her heart. After her husband's death, she had never considered seeing anybody again--She missed Teryan too much, and it hurt too much to be without him.  
  
When Tristain came around, all he did was comfort her--and she reciprocated and received it gratefully. She started to spend more and more time with him, as Sharie had gone into her fifth year. Though he had never dared say anything, and she had never really acknowleged the fact she had fallen in love again--until just before Sharie had disappeared, and there had been no time to act on those feelings, because her life had turned upside-down at the time.  
  
But now....she was alive, out of her Dryseran prison, and he was here. She knew she loved him, and her heart ached with a lonliness she could not describe when he was absent. Would it really be so awful....but what would Teryan have said, what would her children say?  
  
"Beautiful evening," a warm voice said from behind her, from where she had been standing alone on a patio. She jumped, and turned, smiling to see Tristain behind her, looking so much like her deceased husband she was astonished again.  
  
"You startled me," she said softly as he came up behind her, slipping his arms around her like he seemed to do a lot these days--another of Teryan's habits, she recalled. She relaxed against him and let him hug her from behind.  
  
"I had no idea this planet was so beautiful," she heard him murmer softly. "What a sight the moon is--even though there is only one."  
  
"The Earth and Moon system is a double planet," she murmured idly. "But you are right--it does have a unique glow to it." For some reason she could not define, she shivered slightly, and automatically, his hands started to move up and down her arms, as if to warm her. They did, but too much--his touch suddenly scorched her skin with an intense fire, and a sudden wave of desire caught her by surprise.  
  
Her breath caught, and she suddenly turned around to face him, her eyes glowing with the same intensity that his dark ones were reflecting to her. "Tristain...."  
  
"Jeanette...." he whispered softly, reaching up to touch her face. She was close....very close, and he could feel her breath from her lips against his own face. "I..."  
  
"Don't talk," she whispered, and her hands in his suddenly tightened. "Just...."  
  
The torture was too much for him, for her. For eternity, it seemed, he had loved her. And now she was finally telling him she could be his...it seemed too good to be true.  
  
It seemed like eternity as his face inched closer to hers...but suddenly, to his surprise, he felt her soft full lips beneath his....and he shuddered with pent-up emotion as electricity ran the course of his body instantly.  
  
For a moment, he did not dare move, wondering if he was dreaming. Slowly, his arms slid around her and she started to respond. A shudder of pure sensation ran through them both as his arms slid completely around her and tightened their hold.  
  
Tristain's thoughts whirled. Even in his dreams, it had never been like this! His mental barriers suffered, and suddenly he could sense her mind, burning, scorching with as much pent-up need as he was....her heart surrounded them, and he suddenly realized that she wanted to give this a chance as much as he did. Her love surrounded him, crashing into him in wave after soothing wave. She was willing, and was putting her past behind her, and was hoping he would do it, also.  
  
Gasping, he at last released her. "Jeanette," he rasped heavily, seeking her gaze with his own again. "Are...you...want..." he stumbled, not able to phrase his jumbled thoughts.  
  
She nodded.  
  
"You know I love you, I always have," he whispered hoarsely. "But always...always from a distance...."  
  
"No longer," she covered his lips with her fingers. "I never thought anybody could open my heart again like this...but you have, Tristain. I..." she swallowed past the lump in her throat. "I...have learned to love again, too. I love you."  
  
He smiled softly as she finally spoke the words he had been dreaming she would say to him for countless eons....but now, this was no dream, it was real.  
  
Very real.  
  
He pulled her close and kissed her again, and as his fingers covered hers, he could feel the pulse at her wrist....and was surprised and grateful as he felt it beat in time with his own.  
  
****  
  
At last they were alone for the night. Sharie yawned as she went to her room to change and Trey went into his room. She was by herself for awhile, till a sudden sense of sadness came over her, and she started as she realized it was not her own. Turning, she stifled coughs as she walked as rapidly as her tired legs would afford her to Trey's room.  
  
She was surprised to find him staring off into space, tears on his face and the journal she had given him clutched in his hands. He seemed to make no objection as she read his back writing--already filling a couple of pages, it seemed--and she was surprised to learn that he was intending to use the journal to tell parts of his life story--get his thoughts in order. The part that had made him cry was him at last relasing his pent-up pain from Nikita's death, which was where he was when his handwriting had become nearly illegible and his emotions had broken.  
  
She started inwardly as she read his words, *And I suspect Carlos knows, as well, but I do not know for sure, and I am afraid to ask.*  
  
As she hugged Trey from behind, she thought to hide her startlement at that particular passage from him. Uh-oh, he suspected. She had promised him once never to tell anybody, but she had done something she had never done before, and broken this particular confidence in telling Carlos. She wondered how Trey had known, Carlos had been as mum as she had been, and Trey had never really read Carlos's mind before.  
  
She wondered if giving Trey the journal had been such a good idea, but Trey disclaimed the thought, in both his words and his writing. He more or less told her that this had indeed been a good idea, and they ended up staying up way past midnight as his hands continued to scrawl parts of his life story, as if he was letting loose on some great burden.  
  
****  
  
Two days had passed. Trey was getting worried. While his cough was starting to improve somewhat, and even Sharie's was, that was the only visible improvement in her. She remained tired and lethargic, while he slowly grew stronger. Today she had fallen asleep on the couch, and Trey was worried when the third hour passed and he had forced her to awaken. The wound on her leg did not seem to be healing any more, and he wondered if she had some sort of infection.  
  
"Come on, Lalinka," he pulled her along over her weak protests. "We are going to get to the bottom of this mystery. I won't have you continually sick."  
  
The fact that she did not actively resist told him that she was also worried, and she let him teleport them to the Sphinx Ultrazord, where he proceeded to do every concievable test he could think of.  
  
"Nothing," she mumbled, setting her own scanner aside at last. She yawned, and felt even more of her strength drain away. "I cannot find a thing wrong. The infection from the virus is flushed out of our systems, we are only experiencing the after-effects."  
  
"Something is giving you a low-grade fever," he insisted. "Your white blood-cell count is high, too. But there is no sign of any infection. Something has to be wrong, though, or you would not still be this way."  
  
Sharie shrugged. She did not voice the fact that she felt, in her very core, that something dreadful was wrong. It was not something she could easily concieve, but it was there.  
  
****  
  
"I suppose you can remove those damned quarantine banners now," rasped Astronema as she sat tiredly in the main control room. "Everybody is recovering, and the inoculation I had Achilles swipe from the hospital in Angel Grove has ensured that nobody else who steps foot on the Dark Fortress will get it. I've missed out on too much lately, Ecliptor. Tell me," she said with a faint, sickly smile, "What is the physical condition of the rangers?"  
  
"They appear to be recovering," said Ecliptor tiredly. "They are still not very strong and their coughs are bad, but all of them are hardly the worse for the wear."  
  
"And the Triforians?"  
  
"Recovering also. At least Trey. I've noticed that Sharie is remaining lethargic and hardly responsive, in fact, she's getting worse. The poisonous effect of her powers is slowly draining her."  
  
Astronema's lips twitched. She was not sure if she liked this or not. Still, if it would mean the downfall of the violet ranger, then so be it.  
  
"I think we had better strike while the iron is at least lukewarm," she voiced thoughtfully, then coughed. "They are not yet fully recovered, even with them morphed, it will be a factor in our favor. And when the Violet Ranger morphs, she will soon get an unplesant surprise."  
  
"I agree, my princess," said Ecliptor, leaning heavily against a pilliar. "Our new fleet of Quantrons is here, and all have been inoculated. Shall I send them down with a monster or two?"  
  
She waved her hand. "Go ahead. But no fighting for you or me yet. We would surely lose, given our condition. A pity, it is a real shame we cannot fight." She shrugged her slim shoulders. "Send them down."  
  
"Yes, Astronema," he said, then tried not to somp his feet as he walked off, for that would show his irritation. He would very much like to participate in the downfall of the Red Ranger.....  
  
****  
  
"What is it, Alpha?" asked Trey into his communicator as Sharie slid off the biobed, wearing her "all ears" expression.  
  
"Trouble," said the robot. "Angel Grove North Beach. Quantrons, a couple of ugly monsters. The usual. Problem is the rangers are still having a hard time because of the lasting effects of the virus."  
  
"We'll be right down," said Trey, concerned, as he looked at his sister. She nodded, and straightened her spine. Without another word, they hit their teleporter buttons and were swirled away on two columns of light.  
  
****  
  
Sharie and Trey materialized near some boulders, and they ducked behind them to see what was going on. A large crowed of Quantrons was harassing the tired rangers, led by two particularly ugly, cheesy monsters. One of them had four arms and about a dozen fly-looking eyeballs, and was a sickly green color. The other looked as if he had been put together from the pieces of previous monsters....he looked like a great big patchwork quilt of rejected parts, in other words. Any closer description is impossible.  
  
Astronema had been right when she said the iron was at least lukewarm. The rangers, for the past several days, had been very, very careful about wasting their energy doing needless activities, and besides, they had been too tired to do much. Now, it seemed as if all their efforts were for naught as their coughs reached a pitch they had not seen since they had begun to recover. They felt as if they were suffocating.  
  
Carlos could barely duck the whirling blades flung his way by the patchwork monster, and he was never so glad as he was then to see Sharie signaling him silently from her hiding spot, her gestures clearly meaning that they had come to help.  
  
*Good* he thought at his girlfriend, and hoped she would listen, *Because we need the help.*  
  
Although he was worried. She had tried to hide it from him, but he was getting to know how she thought better, and knew she was still having trouble the rest of them were not having, and failing to heal properly.  
  
He was forced to put the thought out of his mind, however, as two more quantrons pounced upon him. He ducked as the tightness in his chest increased, and belted out a low tornado kick to knock the enemy off their feet. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw two flashes of light, and knew his friends had morphed.  
  
"Gold Ranger Power!"  
  
"Violet Ranger Power!" As soon as she morphed, Sharie knew something was wrong. Not only did her powers hit her in a tidal wave she was unfamiliar with and did not like, something was different...and she sensed was very, very wrong. Fatigue hit her hard, and she almost staggered.  
  
She forced it aside. Now was not the time to contemplate it. She forced her suddenly-heavy legs to move as she and Trey dove into the fray.  
  
"Aaah!" Ashley yelped as a blow from a quantron's blade nicked her in the side. She collapsed to her knees, and Carlos ran to stand above her.  
  
"Are you okay?" he rasped as he knocked the offending quantron into oblivion. "That looks like it hurt."  
  
"Well, gee, Dr. Carlos, what tipped you off?" she asked sourly as she forced herself to her feet. "Of course it hurts! I know I am complaining, but I just wish this cough would *go away*!"  
  
"I think we've earned a right to complain a little, after all we've been through," he agreed, helping her up as more of the enemy saw them and started to approach. "Man, they just keep on coming!"  
  
"Astro-Axe!" TJ whirled his weapon at the nearby fly-eye monster, causing the ugly thing to squeal shrilly--rather like an elephant, TJ mused--and crash to the ground.  
  
"That's it!" it bellowed. "You're done for, blue freak!"  
  
"Freak?" TJ repeated, then quipped, "*I'm* the freak? Buddy, have you checked a mirror lately--or have all the ones you've looked into broken because of how ugly you are?"  
  
The monster squealed angrily and lunged at him again. TJ, despite his cough, his tiredness, and frustration, almost laughed as he stepped aside so the monster rushed right past him and crashed face-first into the boulder he had been standing in front of.  
  
"Super Silverizer!" Trey had to admit that he was impressed by the variety of powers the SIlver Astro Ranger seemed to weild. The boy called Zhane, for all his goofy appearance, was a master fighter and a combination of humor and seriousness when it came to fighting.  
  
He and his best friend, Andros, seemed to work as one person when they focused and directed a barrel charge at a couple of quantrons, finishing them off easily. The original Astro Duo.  
  
Sharie's eyesight began to blur around the edges, but she still said nothing until most of the Quantrons had been defeated, and the monsters. Her powers, it had to be her powers. She was sensing something dreadful, and this had to be it. But how?....she could not think.  
  
It was Zhane who slashed his super silverizer at the final patchwork monster and finished off the attack. It was a success, they had won, despite their lingering health problems.  
  
They demorphed, and Carlos caught Sharie just as she moaned softly and staggered, then her knees buckled, and she collapsed. "Querida!"  
  
Trey was over there in an instant. He knelt by them anxiously as Carlos shook Sharie gently and called to her.  
  
She was sheet-white, a deathly color he had not seen since her hospitilization. She was unresponsive for several seconds before she stirred, and her purple eyes just barely opened.  
  
"Carlos...." she rasped, then coughed weakly. "It is my powers. Find..." She did not finish the sentence as she blacked out again.  
  
"Find?" asked Carlos as he supported Sharie and his eyes showing how worried he was. "Find what?"  
  
He could hardly hold her against him as they teleported to the Megaship. He was not strong enough to pick her up yet, and this made him inwardly curse.  
  
"I don't know," said Trey, tight-lipped as he helped Carlos ease her onto a biobed. "But her powers? How could they be doing this? I don't see any reason why."  
  
Andros was frowning. "When was the last time she morphed?" he asked as he stared at the scanners he had dragged out and was subsequently using.  
  
Trey almost bit his lip. "As far as I know, when we were taking care of you all, Darkonda and some pirahnatrons attacked."  
  
"Did you see anything unusual happen?" asked Andros, continuing to frown at the scanners. Trey came up behind him to look over the teen's shoulder.  
  
Her Zeo Power waves, what could be detected, anyway, were erratic, and unstable. "I don't know," he confessed. "We did not battle them long, the only injury either of us took was her leg wound--" he suddenly stopped, and went down to the end of the biobed, and reached for Sharie's jeans cuffs. He rolled the leg up slightly. The wound, which had never healed, now was festering on top of everything else.  
  
"That wound never healed," he whispered. "I did not understand why. Her powers....they must be poisoning her somehow, doing more harm than good. This wound should have healed within hours of her getting it."  
  
"As far as I can tell, she should not morph again," said Andros, studying the scanner. "Even if she survives the morphing process, demorphing again will surely kill her. Her body just took a bad shock. Her powers are draining her life force. She must get rid of them, immediately."  
  
Now Trey knew he faced a serious delimma. Sharie would die if she did not give up her powers soon, but a powerful source would dissapate if he let them go.  
  
"Try to find out if the powers would accept another person taking them temporarily," he said quietly. "The scanners show that the poison is indigenous to her biorhythms alone. They should not affect anyone else."  
  
He started as Sharie moaned softly, then turned her head as she forced herself to awaken.  
  
"Trey...." she gasped. "Shayla. Get Shayla to take my powers....she was supposed to come anyway, remember?"  
  
"You heard all that, Lalinka?" Trey asked as he came up to her and reached for her hand. She nodded weakly.  
  
"Shayla's...trained. She will take them until I can find out why...." Sharie took a deep breath, "...why this is...happening. She...go get her, she should....be at our place now...."  
  
Trey remebered Jason, and he frowned. "Are you sure it is safe?" he asked. "Jason..."  
  
"Hopefully, it won't be for long," she rasped. "And Shayla is half Triforian. She will be fine for awhile, anyway."  
  
Trey nodded, still only partially convinced. Still, he only squeezed Sharie's hand one more time before stepping back and hitting his teleporter button. He had a relative to find.  
  
****  
  
"You want me to *what*?" Shayla asked, incredulous, when Trey had found her and anxiously rasped out what had happened. "I've always wanted to be a ranger, Trey, but not at the expense of someone's life!"  
  
"It will mean Sharie's life if you *don't*," he emphasized. Her eyes widened. "Yes, Sharie needs you to take them *now*, at least until we can find out what the heck is wrong."  
  
That prompted her into nodding, and she let him take her hand as he teleported them both back to the Megaship, where everyone was waiting.  
  
Sharie, stubborn beyond measure, had, over Carlos's protests, managed to somehow make it to her feet. She was still grey in color, though, and it was what alerted Shayla to the fact that the situation was indeed grave.  
  
"You will do this, then?" Sharie asked hoarsely. Shayla nodded.  
  
It took a great deal of strength for Sharie to summon her Power Staff, but she did somehow, the air around her hand glittering as the staff grudginly appeared at her summons.  
  
"Hold up your hand," she instructed Shayla, "And grip the staff."  
  
Shayla hesistantly obeyed, and felt an electric thrill run through her as her fingers came into contact with the staff's cool, violet-hued metal.  
  
"Gift of power, take flight," Sharie said simply. "Shayla Triesta, the Violet Power Staff is in your keeping for the time being."  
  
There was a brilliant flash, and Shayla's senses were dazzled beyond measure as she felt the strangest sensations and waves of power flood her body, and bind with her. Her senses became more keened and honed, and her awareness increased. There was a flash, and she was suddenly standing there, morphed.  
  
"Wow..." was all she could think of to say, but instantly forgot about it when Sharie released the staff and her knees buckled. Trey caught her at once and put her back onto the bed.  
  
"I'm okay," she squeaked over a cough. "It is just the shock of power loss."  
  
Andros was frowning over the scanners again. "Your body is still sustaining damage, Sharie," he informed her quietly. "Because you no longer have the power, it has slowed, but is still causing systemic damage. I cannot tell for certain, but I don't know if it will slow or stop. It could eventually prove fatal, unless something is done soon."  
  
Sharie avoided looking at her brother after that little piece of information. She did not have to, his dark eyes were boring into her back.  
  
****  
  
Within a short time, Sharie's senses began to buzz, and it was not soely because of the shock. White noise filled her ears and things began to not make complete sense. She offhandedly knew she was suffering from color withdrawl, because of how abruptly her powers had been taken from her, and no longer had a direct link to her body. It was not as severe as the last time she had had it, but she still felt as if she was hearing and seeing things through a shower of snow and a long, long tunnel.  
  
Shayla, too, rapidly found out this lesson. When Sharie had transferred the powers to her, she was not wearing anything purple. When Trey saw her eyes beginning to glaze over and he had to repeat things two or three times to get her to comprehend his words, he sighed and realized what was wrong. He silently tugged a purple scrunchie off Sharie's wrist--not that she really noticed it missing--and put in on Shayla's. The girl snapped to it at once.  
  
"Because I wasn't wearing *purple*?" Shayla asked in disbelief. "Then why is Sharie so dazed when she no longer has the power--and she is wearing plenty of purple!"  
  
"Once she gave the power to you, the effectiveness of wearing her color became moot," Trey explained tiredly. "But hers will wear off in a couple of hours or so. When you transfer the powers back to her, you will suffer from it again--only briefly, though."  
  
Shayla sighed and turned her thoughts back to what she had been thinking about before her world had warped. She was amazed at the depths of these powers, no wonder Sharie had told her she was herself half terrified of them.  
  
In fact, there were many resivoirs of power that Sharie never dared tap, zords she never used, and Shayla finally understood why. No wonder Sharie was even so secretive about the whole deal, now that Shayla knew, she made the same vow that she would never, ever reveal what she had just sensed. Sharie was right, it was much, much too dangerous.  
  
Shayla spent a restless night pondering this, and she was almost too tired to get up the next morning when Trey woke her and told her they had a possible solution to the problem.  
  
****  
  
"I think they can be purged," he said when they had gathered on the Megaship.  
  
"Purged?" Shayla repeated, uncomprehending, over a yawn. Sharie looked even more out of it, but she explained.  
  
"Purged. It would be similar, sort of, to what Trey and Jason went through when Trey got his powers back. But Carlos and Trey managed to discover the specific agent that was poisoning me, and they think a Zeta pulse will do it--once the beam is bounced off both Mars and the moon. It has to pick up speed to work, and it will restore my powers to me, also."  
  
"It's that simple?" asked Shayla, frowning. "It seems too easy."  
  
"It does, but it isn't," said Andros grimly. "One miscalculation and Sharie would be killed. Since you have the powers, you would not get more than a mild shock at best, Sharie would be toast."  
  
"How eloquently you put it," Sharie quipped, then coughed. "But I am willing to take the risk. It must be done soon, for soon I won't have enough strength to endure the transfer. It would kill me anyway."  
  
Shayla nodded her agreement to go through with this. Even though it was dangerous, nobody could see any other way to get it done.  
  
****  
  
"Oh, no they won't," coughed Astronema as she watched the group set out. "Looks like our little princess is sicker than they'd like. Well, she won't get the opprotunity, and the other one with her powers--she'll be easy. She has to be as green as new grass when it comes to experience. Send down the quantrons."  
  
****  
  
Andros had designated a specific, remote plain where the beam would strike. Sharie and Shayla would have to be precisely in position, or it would spell disaster for Sharie, and possibly make the Violet Powers dissapate altogether.  
  
Sharie's eyes were clear again as they set out, the only thing she had recovered from was color withdrawl. She was leaning tiredly on Trey as they set out, she could no longer walk unaided and if they did not want the beam disrupted, they would have to walk at least half a kilometer before they reached their destination.  
  
It seemed like forever before Andros murmured, "There it is," and pointed, indicating the small flat area he had already marked. "The beam has been launched and will take a couple of minutes to get here, so get into position."  
  
Of course, nothing ever goes smoothly in a place like Angel Grove, that had been the general rule for nearly six years now. A shower of Quantrons appeared, under orders to stir up trouble and to prevent the two women in violet from doing the power transfer.  
  
Within seconds, the place was in chaos. It always was when it came to devious, sneaky, low-down quantrons. The air quickly filled with a chorus of "It's morphin time!" and "Let's Rocket!"  
  
"Zeo Warrior Power!" Sharie knew she was a prime target, and she doubted if the little-known Zeo warrior powers would harm her, since they were called upon from the depths of her own being.  
  
This was the first time she had used them, and she felt a rush of temporary energy. She found herself in a vaguely ninjetti-style costume with a sabre in a scabbard on her back. Tired as she was, she forced her violet-clad body into action. These powers were a very weak type, meant only for defense, and she made what use of them she could.  
  
Trey frowned. Morphed or not, Sharie should not be fighting at all, and it was apparent that the temporary energy she was being lent by the warrior powers would not last long. She was rapidly tiring again, and he feared it would soon affect her concentration--and she was weilding a sword against quantrons. Not good.  
  
A sudden flash in the atmosphere caught his eye, and he mentally yelled for his sister. *Sharie, it is coming. Alert Shayla and get into position. We'll do our best to cover for you! For heaven's sake, hurry! I see it!*  
  
Sharie was glad Shayla was right next to her as she grabbed her aunt's hand and started to pull, breatlessly telling Shayla to hurry. She herself harldy could, due to her weakness, the power rush was fading and she would not be morphed for much longer. They got into position just as the white beam rushed for them, and Sharie stood in front of Shayla as the older girl raised the staff.  
  
A quantron, seeing this, lunged for them, knocking both girls off balance just as the beam struck. Trey felt a sense of horror rush through him, for the beam had barely caught against the side ofthe staff.  
  
It had been misaligned, for Sharie felt a searing, white-hot pain shoot through her body, burning every nerve ending and setting her brain on fire just before darkness overwhelmed her, and she knew no more.  
  
Shayla felt a nasty pain stab through her for an instant, and was also crushed momentarily by the shock of demorphing. She staggered, and Sharie fell back against her as her niece collapsed.  
  
As she eased Sharie's limp form to the ground, Shayla bit her lip. She no longer had the power, but she did not know if Sharie had reabsorbed them, either. Sharie was not morphed, what if the powers had dissapated--and Sharie was dead?  
  
Frantically, the doctor in her fought to take over as she felt for a pulse. To her immense relief, she felt an unsteady, weak thrumming beneath her fingertips as she held them against Sharie's neck. A glitter caught her eye, she started as Sharie's morphers appeared, intact, on her wrists and buzzed to life.  
  
"She's alive!" she called to the girl's frantic brother. "And I think she's reabsorbed her powers. But she's had a nasty shock to her system, I don't know what damage it did. The beam was misaligned because of that quantron."  
  
Left unspoken was the implication that such a shock had probably seared Sharie's cerebreal cortex, or worse. Her brain could have been almost completely fried. Shayla just did not know.  
  
Another quantron jumped at Shayla, and she was forced to rise. She remembered Sharie calling for her warrior powers, she decided to give it a try.  
  
It worked, since she had held Sharie's power, she was also violet in hue. She knocked the quantron away from Sharie's limp form, but soon found herself pounced upon by three more.  
  
****  
  
Sharie somehow became aware again. Light assaulted her closed eyelids, and she was suddenly aware of fighting sounds around her. Her powers! The transfer!  
  
She attempted to move her arms, and almost screamed. It ihurt!/i Fire was still licking every nerve ending as she opened her purple eyes. However, she was aware enough of her arms to know that she definetly felt her morphers there. And she could tell that her friends were in trouble. The sense of something being wrong with her powers was gone, there was no reason she could not morph now. And the surge had also repaired the damage done to her body by the poison, she could tell.  
  
"Violet Ranger Power!" Shayla was rather startled when she saw the violet blur pass in front of her vision, and suddenly two of the quantrons attacking her were no more as they fell under Sharie's blows.  
  
"Sharie! You're all right!" Shayla was overjoyed. "I thought that you had---"  
  
"Become a vegetable?" Sharie surmised. "Nah. It still kinda hurts to move, but I'm fine. I feel great, in fact--except for this damned cough."  
  
She chuckled mildly, though, as she flung herself into the fray.  
  
"Welcome back to the land of the living, Querida," said Carlos happily as she fell in beside him. "Sharie, you even seem....*cheerful*, after what you have been through."  
  
"I feel good," she answered. "It is not often I am in this mood."  
  
Indeed, the energy was zipping it's way thorough her in a way she had not felt in weeks, and a smile was on her lips behind her helmet. Her cough still lingered nastily, but nothing could be done about it, and after what had happened recently, she was not going to let it get her down.  
  
She almost whistled as she tore into the last remaining quantrons, and it was Trey who finished them off with a blow from his staff. Sharie knew she was still smiling, actually a big grin, as she demorphed. The pain in her body was gone, and goodness, but life seemed worth living again....  
  
As soon as Trey demorphed and turned to face her, he felt himself smiling in response to her radiantly happy face. Color was in her cheeks and her eyes were sparkling, with no evidence of the shadows that continually haunted their lives. He almost never saw her like this, and it was a wonderful sight to see.  
  
"Chipper mood, Lalinka?" he asked as he hugged her tightly for a moment, and knew his own eyes had to be reflecting her contagious mood.  
  
"Happy, yes," she giggled, "But without the bird noises."  
  
"I like seeing you this way, you know," he remarked, tucking her curls behind her ears for her.  
  
"It's nice to feel so good after the past several weeks," she reminded him, her mood undampened. "It is kind of worth it to feel so good. And it is also good to be of adult age on this planet and coherent enough to enjoy it properly."  
  
"You're actually acting your age," Carlos remarked from behind her. She flashed her radiant smile at him, and he knew his grin was goofy in response. "Like a true eighteen-year-old and not a century-old spinster."  
  
"What, like this?" Sharie asked, pretending to put on a sour face and puckered lips, swaggering around, but her eyes sparkled so merrily it ruined the effect.  
  
Carlos had to laugh at how funny she looked. Her sense of humor could match Zhane's or TJ's if she tried.  
  
"To tell the truth, I don't like seeing you like that," he chortled, "But it is okay on occassion--only in pantomime, mind you."  
  
He put on a horror face, crossing his eyes and sticking out his tongue to show what he meant, and everybody laughed. However, he instantly uncrossed his face when Sharie gave the age-old reminder, "Don't make faces, it just might freeze that way."  
  
She was laughing, though,and he pretended to scowl. "My mom used to say that a lot," he grumped good-naturedly. "Always scared the pants off me when I was little. And my pants are *on*, thank you," he glared at Zhane, who had whistled mockingly at his words.  
  
Everybody laughed as they linked arms and headed away from the plain. Ah, but life was good now and then....  
  
****  
  
Later that day, Jeanette and Tristain dropped by on Shayla and her children, and they knew instantly that something was up by the couple's fidgety manner and zero-eye-contact looks.  
  
Sharie and Trey exchanged I-knew-it glances. They sensed the reason the pair had come even before they said anything. It was too darned obvious. It was in Jeanette's eyes and in Tristain's posture that they were head- over-heels in love, and had found what they had needed in each other.  
  
Still, Sharie indicated nothing of what she felt as she simply said cooly, "So, what brings you here? I thought you had some meeting or other."  
  
"It was cancelled," said Tristain, a little too quickly. He looked at Jeanette, and she looked at him with raised eyebrows. They seemed to be nudging each other to be the first to speak.  
  
Finally, it was Jeanette who suddenly blurted, "Sharie, Trey--I think you two might have noticed us acting--odd, lately."  
  
Shayla smirked while Sharie simply had an expressionless face. "We have."  
  
"Very oddly," Trey repeated after her, just as expressionlessly. He felt a little ashamed for the ruse, but Sharie had started the air of suspense. It was all an act.  
  
Jeanette paled just slightly at their noncommital expressions. "What we want to say is--"  
  
"We know," said Sharie tonelessly. Trey nodded also.  
  
"You do?" Jeanette asked, surprised. "You know that Tristain and I are--"  
  
"Involved?" Sharie surmised. "We guessed as much."  
  
Jeanette almost choked. "Then--what do you think about it?"  
  
"It's splendid." Sharie could not stand it anymore, her face broke into a wide grin and her eyes sparkled. "Congratulations, you two. It's about time."  
  
Jeanette paled again, this time in surprise, as Sharie and Trey both laughed aloud and hugged her and Tristain.  
  
"Sorry for the act, mother," Trey confessed. "Sharie started it, and I was wicked enough to play along. Of course we knew, we have known for days. We would have to have been blind to miss it. And we don't mind, honest. In fact, we approve. So don't worry."  
  
"I bet you two imps discussed it beforehand," laughed Jeanette, getting over her surprise as relief washed over her. "But you don't know how glad I am to hear your words. I never--" she swallowed. "I never thought I could fall in love again. But Tristain--well, he has your father's brand of magic, and another brand all his own."  
  
"And of course you all know how long your poor uncle has waited," chuckled Tristain. His face became serious. "I would never have willingly moved in on Jeanette after Teryan died, you know that. It just happened."  
  
"A lot of things 'just happen'," remarked Shayla. "Love often just sneaks up on you, and *bam*, it hits you hard--at least, that is what I have heard."  
  
"It does," admitted Tristain. "And seeing as how you younger folks don't mind, I finally feel right about doing this."  
  
He turned and put his arms around Jeanette, holding her back so he could look into her eyes. "Jeanette Shayla Triesta, from the moment I first saw you, my heart was lost. For many melennia I loved in silence, never dreaming that one day, you could return my love. And now that you do, I cannot bear to let you go--ever." His voice lowered as he asked a simple, yet very complex, question. "Jeanette--will you do me the honor of marrying me?"  
  
Jeanette had to swallow past the lump in her throat, but otherwise she did not hesistate. "Yes," was her simple answer.  
  
His chuckle was a half-sob as he gathered her to him tightly. "Jeanette," he whispered fiercely, "You have just made me the happiest man in the universe. I love you, and I will love you till the end of time."  
  
He kissed her, and it was the type of kiss that sealed a promise between two lovers. Sharie knew her own radiant smile matched Treys....although calling Tristain father would take some getting used to.  
  
****  
  
"I knew it wouldn't go over," groaned Astronema tiredly as Elgar swaggered up behind her. "This whole mess that *you*, elgar, started was a grand opprotunity to defeat the rangers--but you had to bring that virus on board my fortress."  
  
"I said I was *sorry*, Astronema," he sighed. "It was an accident, I swear. You have that look on your face again--should I toss myself to Squiggly and save you the trouble?"  
  
"Nah," she mumbled. "You nearly died from the virus yourself, I think that taught you your lesson more than Squiggly could have. Just go away."  
  
****  
  
"Jeanette and Tristain....what?" repeated Carlos. "Already?"  
  
"They've been in love for years, actually," said Sharie simply as she and Carlos walked the beach. "It just finally came through for them. Trust me, Carlos, I am happy with this. It is...well, right for them."  
  
"I don't disagree," he said quickly. "But I thought that I fell in love with *you* very fast, and it seemed as if your mother and uncle beat us in the love-at-first-sight race."  
  
Sharie nodded thoughtfully. "The only thing that is going to upset them both is the fact mother wont be able to bear him any children. He will have Trey and I as stepchildren, though."  
  
"They have a long life ahead of them," Carlos remarked, his mind deep in thought. Absently, he lifted Sharie's left hand and stroked her fingers. "Sharie..." he started to say, then stopped.  
  
She looked at him, and he saw an old-soul look in her purple depths. A sense of knowing.  
  
"Sharie," he began again. "You know I love you, and I will love you throughout eternity, right?"  
  
She nodded as he fumbled for her right hand, where she wore the ring he had given her days before.  
  
"I would never pressure you into anything," he whispered, squeezing her right hand gently and feeling for the ring. "But I want to know something. I must know."  
  
"What?" she whispered as her heart began to pound a million times a minute. She did not know, she did not bother to count.  
  
She did not even start as he pulled her ring off her right hand. "I was wondering," he whispered hoarsely, "that...would one day...would you consider an engagement?" he slid the ring onto her left hand as he spoke.  
  
"A promise?" she whispered, feeling something bubble up within her from a deep place.  
  
"A promise that one day, we can be engaged," he murmured, lifting her left hand to kiss her palm and watching out of the corner of his eye as the ring sparkled faintly in the moonlight.  
  
Her eyes suddenly glittered twice as brightly. "Yes," she whispered, understanding the significance of promise rings. "I...well, I guess I promise." She whispered as she smiled, and he knew she fully understood his gesture. She helped him pull off his own plain gold band from his right hand and place it on his left.  
  
"I will replace them with real promise rings soon, then," he vowed. "But I love you, Sharie, and I want to spend my life at your side. Thank you...thank you for saying yes."  
  
The kiss that blossomed between them was not only heady with desire, but with the promise and vow that they had just shared to spend eternity in the other's arms.  
  
And eternity seemed a long time. 


	10. Finding You

Disclaimer: Buena Vista's distributing the Power Rangers at the moment, or so it is said, at the time of this mild update. Story #10 in my From The Stars series. This is another short one, folks, but a darned sight better than the last short one. Here Trey and Sharie actually get into a fight. Face it: They gotta do it once in a while or something is really wrong with them. *grins wickedly* Erm, anyway, I'm also banking on an idea that maybe Zhane and Astronema *did* meet once or twice on the sly, and just didn't tell anyone. (If I was Zhane, I certainly would not be admitting misadventures like that to *my* best friend.)  
  
The usual acknowledgements to Starhawk for being the lending of the Color Withdrawl concept, and I've got more Mosquitoes for you should you want them (or not).  
  
Takes place shortly after Zhane goes to help the colonists.  
  
Finding You By ZeoViolet Teaser: Sharie helps Astronema and Zhane reconcile...eventually.  
  
Astronema sat on the windowseat in her quarters, staring again at the rumpled picture of Zhane that she had been carrying with her. In fact, she stared hard, her long blonde hair falling into her face as she almost attempted to draw life from the still figure in the photo, needing it so badly, and yet not realizing *how* bad the urge was.  
  
Suddenly, she sighed and pushed the picture back onto the cushion, coughing slightly as she turned her large hazel gaze up to the stars.  
  
*Oh, Zhane...* She thought, thumping her small fist slightly on the glass as she sighed. *Where are you now? What are you doing?*  
  
She shivered, though she was not cold. She remembered looking into his eyes...oh, furie's wrath, his huge, gorgeous sapphire eyes! How...oh, *how* had he so easily managed to do what she had sworn never to let a person do...affect her in such a way!  
  
How, she wondered again. He had done what nobody had ever really done to her before, she suspected....managing to slip past the icy barriers of her heart and really touch her...the *real* her, the her she never, ever let anybody see, since her being evil depended on her hiding it.  
  
He had touched her. Hardly physically, true, but emotionally. Her heart raced madly, even though she thought she was angry at him. After he had manged to get inside her heart, she thought of him endlessly, daydreamed constantly, and refused to pay much attention to what went on around her.  
  
She could not help herself. She had disguised herself as an earth girl and "bumped" into him near the movie theatre, just wanting to see him again. Their eyes had locked for the longest time as he helped her gather up the books she just *happened* to drop when they had crashed. Their hands had brushed, and her skin had been scorched, her whole body had been aware....  
  
When he had finally raced back to his friends, she had found something that *he* had happened to drop as well...a picture of her. She could hardly believe her luck....he had been thinking of her as well!....  
  
Astronema suddenly suppressed a shiver of rage at the thought of what he had done next...standing her up for a date. She had been furiously angry at him, and wondered what he had talked about...what monster had she sent? She hadn't sent any monster! She had been so mad she had been amazed she had not attempted to destroy him on the spot!  
  
And it was true she had tried to banish him from her thoughts after that, figuring it would be easy after what he had done to her!  
  
Astronema thumped her fist on the glass again as she reflected. Boy, had she been wrong. Her dreams of him doubled, at least, when she did sleep. Her body never forgot his touch, and she missed his blue gaze looking adoringly into her own hazel ones....  
  
She had tried to tell herself that her reaction was purely...sexual. Nothing more than lust. But that could not be true, every time she sent down a monster, she found herself silently praying for his safety....she did not want him killed.  
  
*He is supposed to be your enemy, not your lover!* She chastized herself. No use. Fate could be so cruel, she reflected. Surely, after what she had done to *him*, he did not feel the same way anymore....  
  
She had to admit it to herself, she had made a mistake, a serious one, not listening to him. But what could be done now? He was gone again, helping survivors of the KO-35 colony relocate to some other secret area.  
  
*Quit sniffling, girl!* she told herself firmly. *If he isn't even giving you second thoughts anymore, why waste your time?*  
  
*And what if he told you the truth?* another part of her asserted. *He did not mean to be late? He could not help it? You overreacted, Astronema!*  
  
Astronema flopped on her bed with a sigh. She had to quit this somehow. Ecliptor was noticing how tired she was, and it was not due to lingering effects of her recent illness. That had dissappated finally, all that was left was a lingering, slight cough. Almost two weeks had passed since the Violet Ranger had managed to fix her powers, enough time for them all to mostly recover....  
  
Astronema bit her lip. Ecliptor was definetly noticing...the shadows beneath her eyes, not to mention her half-ignored meals, did not help much.  
  
Suppose he dared to go into her quarters and search, and found Zhane's picture. She was sure all hell would break loose. Ecliptor was her second- in-command, but because she had risen fast through the ranks in her short lifetime. He also was her father figure. It meant he would go behind her back if it was necessary for her safety. Bad enough he was insisting on getting her to a real doctor to check her over. If he found out about her feelings for the Silver Ranger.....well, to put it mildly, he would go after Zhane with a vengence. For some reason she could not fathom, he hated Andros to an extreme degree. She did not care to have him on Zhane's back as well.  
  
Closing her eyes, Astronema eventually drifted off to sleep, knowing how her night would be spent. *Zhane, I wish you were here*....  
  
****  
  
Sharie, for one of the rare times in her life, was extremely bored. There were times she was just not too fond of diplomatic missions, and this was one of them. Oh, well, at least it was over, and she was headed back to Triforia and then to Earth, and back to her life.  
  
*life* she mused idly. So, despite all the havok wrecked constantly in her eighteen years, she had a life. One on Earth, and was starting to re- accept one on Triforia as well. Before this, being on Triforia for long periods of time had still unnerved her, and it was so hard to accept, after Earth and space had been her home for so long...where her family had been. Finally, though, she was beginning to bridge the huge gap that had been created after she had been sent away, filling in the missing years with her reunited family. She was helping her mother with plans for her wedding to Tristain, and she was contemplating her own future with Carlos as well.  
  
Idly her fingers rubbed the birthday ring he had given her...it now resided on her left hand as a promise ring. Carlos had done the same with his ring, and had said something about replacing them with "real" promise rings soon. This she did not understand too well, but she understood promise rings...a sort of unspoken promise to agree to a future engagement with someone you loved. Probably Carlos wanted to get ahold of a matching set, to make it more obvious, and she was not sure what to think about this.  
  
What she was sure of is that she wanted Carlos by her side for the rest of their lives.  
  
She was curled up in the main armchair on the bridge, rubbing the ring and staring at nothing in particular. A sudden buzzing sound, however, intruded into her thoughts so suddenly she leaped in surpise, nearly tripping over her smallish feet.  
  
"Yes, what is it?" she gasped at her computer, recovering herself somewhat.  
  
"Unknown ships detected ahead," announced the computer calmly.  
  
"Onscreen," Sharie siged. She started again, though, at the sight of the ships that nearly seemed to be falling apart, they were so battered.  
  
"Were they attacked recently?" Sharie wondered aloud, feeling pity for the inhabitants of the ships. They looked as if they were barely holding together by a few metal bars and kid's glue.  
  
"Negative. No other ships detected in sector." the computer supplied helpfully.  
  
"Quiet. I was not talking to you." Sharie was glad the computer on the ship was not sentient, and would not be stung by the words. Still, she bit her lip, ashamed. She wondered why she was so touchy lately. Her enthusiasm after recovering her powers had gradually faded, and over the past few days, she had been jumpy, growling, and she wondered how she had managed to hide it at the recent diplomatic mission. She could not quite place her finger on the reason....She hoped Trey had not noticed, anyway.  
  
Turning her attention back to the ships, Sharie wondered if they needed assistance. She sent a pre-recorded message offering such, and a moment later, a beeping sound told her she was being hailed. A familiar face appeared on the screen.  
  
"Zhane?"  
  
"The one and only, Sharie," grinned the silver ranger.  
  
"What are you doing here?" Sharie asked. She was still in remote territory.  
  
He hesistated for a moment, then began. "These are the survivors of KO- 35," he began, and then proceeded to tell her of the adventure from a couple of days before.  
  
"Could you use a hand?" Sharie asked.  
  
"Actually, that would be a good idea, thanks, but if you do, you must swear to tell no one but the other rangers where we are going. The reasons should be obvious."  
  
"Cross my heart," Sharie promised with a smile, feeling a little better already. She liked Zhane, he was really cheerful for someone who had been in two years of hypersleep. Still, just now, there was something in his eyes...  
  
****  
  
Sharie soon found herself helping to move things around and doing general repair work as the ships headed to the new temporary colonysite. She worked a lot by Zhane's side, and could not help but notice that behind his forced smile, something in his usually cheerful disposition was not there. His eyes betrayed the fact he was in a major depression. They were sad indeed, and hurt. But he said nothing to indicate this.  
  
Sharie did not need two of them jumpy and depressed, and she cornered him when they were alone.  
  
"Zhane, what's wrong?" she asked softly. "That false smile betrays you. So do your eyes. I know you want to talk, and I am willing to listen."  
  
It stopped him up short, and he gave her a long, tortured look for a moment, as if he would like to take her up on her offer, but still said nothing. His blue eyes lowered again as he pretended nothing was wrong.  
  
The feelings of depression assaulting Sharie's senses did not abate, and she was not in the mood just to push up her barriers and ignore someone's pain. She put down her scanner and lifted his chin with her finger, so his blue eyes met hers. "Zhane, please," she whispered. "It is very strong, I can sense it. What's wrong?"  
  
He drew in a long breath, and she could sense him quiver slightly. "Believe me, you don't want to hear it. You'd hate me."  
  
She blinked. "Zhane, I could never hate you, no matter what you do. You should know I am not that way."  
  
He sighed, and suddenly looked close to tears. "All...all right," he mumbled. "I will tell you, but I still won't blame you for turning your back on me, or at least being angry at my foolishness over what happened. I also want you to swear you will never tell anybody else--anybody."  
  
"I swear on Triune's Honor," she asserted softly. "What is the matter?"  
  
He could not meet her gaze. "I-I'm in love," he blurted suddenly.  
  
Surprised, she raised an eyebrow. "Is that such a problem?" she asked.  
  
"Yes!" he cried out. "Sharie, she is the last person you'd expect, but I can't help how I feel, I swear!" Zhane almost wailed.  
  
"Well?" Sharie shrugged, feeling his pain but remaining nonjudemental for the moment. "Who is she?"  
  
Zhane buried his face in his hands for a moment, and whispered a name that even caught Sharie by surprise. "Astronema? Zhane, you love Astronema?"  
  
He nodded miserably, expecting her to condemn him somehow. But she only said, "Zhane--since when is loving somebody like Astronema such a crime?"  
  
He blinked in surprise at her gentle tone. "Isn't it?" he mumbled. Sharie shook her head.  
  
The Violet Ranger only asked, "How did it happen?"  
  
He clenched his fists. "I swear, Sharie, we *were* in a monster attack. I did not set her up. You know, you saw the data just before you left! Now...she's furious at me, and I have no chance! Not one iota!"  
  
Sharie looked at him thoughtfully. "Maybe you should speak with her, Zhane. Get this straightened out between you two."  
  
He looked at her again, astonished. "You--you mean you are not angry at me? I am not a traitor in your eyes?"  
  
Sharie sighed. "Of course not, Zhane. Love is difficult, and can crop up where one would least expect it. It is something to be handled carefully. Besides, this is something that should be handled between you and Astronema only."  
  
Zhane shook his head. "Hard to believe you are supporting me in this, Sharie. Gee, no wonder Carlos is so head-over-heels for you. But I can't just mosey up to the doors of the Dark Fortress and politely ask to speak to her. Ecliptor would have my head and..." he gulped, "certain other body parts if he knew. And the other rangers...they might not be as understanding as you have been."  
  
She smiled gently. "I am not so sure about that, but even if they did resist, they are used to the strange, it would not take them long." She shook her head. "But I suggest you wait and see how things play out. I have been watching Astronema on the side throughout the diplomatic mission, and she is a lot more complex than I had first thought upon meeting her that first time. She is capeable of mercy at the oddest times, and if it makes you feel any better, she has been distracted lately herself."  
  
That brought Zhane's head up. "Really? Distracted about...what?"  
  
"I don't know, exactly. But she is also doing a lot of secret, dreamy smiling to herself." She finished the work she had set aside. "No, Zhane, I don't think any less of you. If you and Astronema have a thing for each other, then I suggest you let fate decide which paths you should tread. What will eventually happen may surprise you."  
  
She left Zhane in his now-dreamy state and wandered off. No, she thought no less of Zhane, and it was making her think harder about Astronema. If she could love someone that fate had decreed, practically, to be her enemy, then she probably was not 100% *all* bad. Sharie had begun to consider, leately, if there was someone who dictated Astronema's movements more than just Astronema herself. Still, Sharie also had little doubt she would still try to take down the Power Rangers if given the chance. The Princess of Evil was a very complex person.  
  
****  
  
Astronema awoke much earlier than usual, after another night of near- sleepless dreams about Zhane. She was still restlessly pacing her bedroom an hour later when Ecliptor entered, at the end of his rope.  
  
"I heard you pacing again, Astronema," he growled. That's it! I Want you to see some sort of Doctor, today!"  
  
"No!" she snapped back. "I will tell you when I want my actions dictated for me, not before. What I do want to do is get out for awhile. I'll take a pod and leave, but I need to be alone."  
  
Ecliptor muttered some nasty things as he stomped off to do her bidding. If this trip did not bring her to her senses when she came back, he swore right then and there to drug her and drag her off to a doctor any way, no matter how much noise she made or what hell he would pay for doing so!  
  
****  
  
Trey also paced restlessly as he recieved a transmission from his sister. She would be late again. He did not know why this annoyed him so, he certainly did not dictate her life and they had not made any plans. But lately, everything was getting on his nerves. Delphine was at a project on her world, she could not be around, and his mother and Tristain were all over each other. Shayla was on Aquitar with her father also, and he was more or less alone. He both wanted to be alone and could not stand it. Occassionally he did get like this, but he hated it when it did happen...he always felt like he was losing control of himself. What was worse, he had noticed it in Sharie, her jumpiness and shortness of temper lately was getting on his own nerves. Maybe they just both needed to take a break from each other for awhile...so when she had attended a diplomatic function, he had been rather glad...and ashamed for being glad, for it was like looking a gift horse in the mouth to him. She was the most important person in his life, and it made him feel sick to actually be glad to see her gone, upon reflection.  
  
He sincerely hoped he was not a ticking time bomb, waiting to go off. He remembered what had happened last time, and did not want it to happen again.  
  
****  
  
Astronema sighed tiredly as she stared out of the viewscreen of her astropod. Her thoughts were still on Zhane and her hand came up to habitually fondle the carm around her neck, the only itme she had left to link her to her first five...no, six years of her life, a time she had no memory of.  
  
She had had a ring, too, but it had vanished a couple of months before, during one of her "blackout" periods, periods of time that periodically happened, that she could not remember. The last time had been during the time of Dark Dresden. An hour or so's worth of time had simply vanished from her memory.  
  
And as much as she hated the blackouts, she hated even more losing the ring. She had hoped it would someday provide a clue to the first years of her life--a time shrouded in black, except in the dreams she could never remember. All she could remember was Ecliptor, and occassionally Darkonda, much as those two hated each other.  
  
A sudden jolt of her pod sent her sprawling out of her seat, where she landed with a painful thud.  
  
"Furie's Wrath!" she spat angrily. "What in Halley's Comet is gong on?"  
  
"Battle site ahead," said the computer in a sugary tone.  
  
"Battle site? Whose ships?"  
  
"Ship style is unknown."  
  
She saw a couple of warbird-style ships turn around and begin to fire again. The pod jerked every-which way, sparks exploding all over the place.  
  
"Hyperrush core destruction iminent," announced the computer sweetly.  
  
Astronema swore some very interesting, off-color words before she teleported herself to the surface of the nearby planet, milliseconds before the pod she had been occupying went to the big shipyard in the sky, going out in a blaze of fiery light.  
  
****  
  
Sharie had long since finished her work with the colonists, and was doing upgrades on the Sphinx Ultrazord when sirens went off. She jumped and nearly hurled her scanner at the computer, then gritted her teeth as she tried to control her temper. Gods, she had not felt like this since Dark Dresden's attack! What the *heck* was wrong with her, that she could barely keep her temper or emotions under control, buried just under the surface and ready to explode? And Trey, for once was as snippy, she last recalled....maybe it was the emotional roller-coaster suffered over the past many weeks that was getting to them both. Or maybe they just both needed a break. Which made her ashamed...what had she done?  
  
"What is happening?" she thought to ask through her clenched teeth.  
  
"Battle site ahead." This time she bit her lip to keep from yelling at her computer's sweet tone as she rose to examine the situation.  
  
The enemy had swiftly detected her uncloaked vessle and moved in for the kill. With a sigh, she launched into a defensive attack, destroying them quickly. And just when she thought it was over, she detected more turbulence on the surface.  
  
She picked up some very odd readings indeed...and her surprise grew when she discovered that one of the lifesigns was very clearly human.  
  
Surprised, she brought up an image from the lifesigns emanating below.  
  
Astronema? Of all people, Astronema?  
  
It was clear the princess of evil was not their of her own choosing. She was wandering aimlessly, weaponless, in a rocky area covered in trees and brush.  
  
She was also very close to being ambushed by planet natives.  
  
Sharie heaved a sigh. Annoyed as she had been lately, her strong sense of ethics would not allow her to to leave an unarmed woman alone, defenseless and in danger, despite the woman's reputation. Besides that, Zhane came to mind. She could not do this to him.  
  
*Where the heck is her spear?* Sharie wondered. Astronema was indeed completely unarmed. *Was it destroyed?*  
  
Sharie shrugged as she shook her wrists to reveal her morphers. This should prove interesting.  
  
"Zeo Violet Ranger Power!"  
  
****  
  
Astronema leaned against a large rock, shivering slightly as she fought to keep the fear from overwhelming her. She rarely felt fear, she cursed herself for feeling it at all. Why did she have to leave her spear at the Dark Fortress? What in the Unverse had posessed her to go unarmed, without spear or boomerang?  
  
Suddenly, out of nowhere, several humanoid figures attacked her.  
  
"Oh, furie's wrath!" she snapped. "Way to go, Astronema *dear*. You are really in a fix now."  
  
She also cursed at the fact her self-defense skills left something to be desired, since she did not often have to use them for situations like this. The only skills she had ever really perfected were with weapons....since she rarely went unarmed. Defenseless attack was not one of her specialties.  
  
Still, she did know and utilize a few well-placed moves, among her favorites being the knee-to-sensetive area move. Despite this, she was soon overwhelmed.  
  
Until a sharp "Ki-yah!" filled the air and a blur of purple knocked one of the goons who had her pinned to the ground, off of her. She stared, more than a little astonished, as the Zeo Violet Ranger began knocking her attackers away.  
  
She was also too shocked to be angry at the moment as she panted, "What are *you*, of all people, doing here?"  
  
"Saving your hide, obviously," said Sharie a bit tersely. "Your defensive skills could use some sharpening."  
  
"I rarely use them, okay?" panted Astronema, exasperated. "Besides, why are you even bothering to help me? You know, of course, that if circumstances permitted--"  
  
"--You would be going for my throat," interrupted Sharie calmly. "I know. Sorry, circumstances *don't* permit this at present. Would you rather I left you alone with your friends here?"  
  
"All *right*!" grumbled Astronema, sideswiping a native. "I see your point. We can part calmly after this, but the truce ends there, got it?"  
  
"Fine with me. Where *is* your staff, by the way?"  
  
Astronema could hardly keep herself from groaning. "If you must know, I left it on the Dark Fortress, okay?"  
  
"Smart of you," Sharie observed with a smirk behind her helmet. "Going off someplace dangerous without protection."  
  
"I guess I haven't been thinking clearly lately--hey, why am I telling you this? I'd say it is none of your business!"  
  
"So?" Sharie kicked another native away. "I have noticed how distracted you have been lately."  
  
"How do you know?" Astronema panted, kneeing another enemy right where it hurts.  
  
"Nice move," Sharie said instead.  
  
"Thanks--one of the few moves I *did* perfect."  
  
Their conversation did not go much further because an attacker took out a teleportation-shifting device, and hurled the explosive at them.  
  
"Oh, look *OUT*!" cried Sharie, flinging herself on her usual enemy and pinning her to the ground. The resulting shock wave sent both girls hurtling into unconsciousness.  
  
****  
  
*Oh, what hit me?* was the first thoughts to come to Sharie's aching head as she dragged herself out of the depths of the darkness that had surrounded her. She opened her eyes, becoming aware she was holding onto someone. Memory came flooding back as she saw that Astronema was still partially beneath her, and also still out cold.  
  
Sharie shifted away and sat up, becoming aware that they were now in a jungle of some sort, and she was unmorphed. She glanced at her morpher. Nearly dead. Maybe she could get her medkit out of it, but not much else. Certainly no weapons, not a good thing with the princess of evil right beside her.  
  
Although she reflected that the medkit was a good thing, for the wounds she and Astronema had appeared superificial, easily cured.  
  
Sharie vaguely recalled something else as she considered this. Those readings she had seen from orbit--they had shown Astronema as human. Sharie did not know how, considering the girl's rather nasty reputation. Considering her looks, it had to mean Astronema actually was quite young-- no more than eighteen or nineteen, Sharie guessed. Young indeed to have created as much havok as Astronema had wrought over the years.  
  
A few moments later, Astronema awoke. She blinked, dazed, then jerked bolt upright when she saw Sharie calmly watching her. Reflexively, she reached for her staff. Not finding it there, she looked at Sharie in shock, then Sharie saw memory fill her gaze. She barely relaxed her defensive pose.  
  
"Oh, yeah...where are we?" she groused, realizing how sore she was.  
  
"I don't know. Zeo Medkit!"  
  
It appeared. Sharie raised an eyebrow at Astronema. "Are you going to let me help you or not?"  
  
Astronema bit her lip. Gods, this had been a strange day. Trust the violet ranger? She hoped she would not regret this.  
  
*I've been through worse...* Get it over with," she snapped reluctantly.  
  
"You're welcome, too," said Sharie with a tired grin.  
  
Astronema blinked, taken aback. For some reason, she felt slightly guilty. "Uh....th-thanks, for saving me...I guess..." she said uneasily.  
  
Sharie could not help but muster a sly grin. "Does that mean our truce can extend a little while longer? I can't morph here, you have a slight advantage more than you would have otherwise. But if I can get my teleporter working, we can both get out of here and back where we belong. Would you really try to destroy someone who may be your only chance of getting out of here?"  
  
Astronema blanched, realizing Sharie was right. "Okay, but just until we get out of here. And don't antagonize me."  
  
Sharie fought the impulse to roll her eyes as she said nothing, only turned the scanner on her rival. Her brow furrowed. "Boy, you have been really neglecting yourself lately, haven't you?"  
  
"What makes you say that?" Astronema asked defensively.  
  
"I know you were down with the same illness that almost killed the rest of us a couple of weeks ago," said Sharie sensibly. "You should have recovered enough, but you are showing signs of fatigue, you have shadows under your eyes, and signs of stress are permeating your every being."  
  
Astronema sighed, raising a hand to her temple. She lacked the strength to argue at the moment. "I haven't--been sleeping well, lately," she mumbled, as if to explain it.  
  
"That's an understatement. And I thought Zhane looked miserable. You look worse for the wear than that poor boy."  
  
"Zhane?" Astronema's head came up. "Zhane? How is he? Is he hurt?" realizing what she had just blurted, her hand flew to her mouth and her hazel eyes looked downwards, embarrassed..  
  
"Zhane is fine. His only problem is...." Sharie paused, seeing the urgent espression on Astronema's face and shadowing in her hazel eyes. It confirmed that she still felt very strongly for the Silver Ranger. She knew then, what she had to do. "...his only problem is he misses you, Astronema."  
  
Astronema gasped faintly, feeling her face turn very, very red. "...You...know about that? I thought Zhane would never dare tell anyone, considering...."  
  
Sharie nodded quietly. "Zhane told me what happened, Astronema, because he knew that I could not...would not condmen him...for loving you."  
  
Now Astronema went pale. Suddenly, she burst out, unable to help herself, "No! He doesn't care for me--he stood me up! He is probably still laughing deliberately at me--I sent no monster that day!"  
  
"Ecliptor headed the attack that day." Sharie said.  
  
"So he claimed," mumbled Astronema. "He disobeyed me. It was without my orders."  
  
"And that is why Zhane is not at fault," said Sharie. "Don't you know how much it is hurting him with you so furious at him?"  
  
To Sharie's surprise, Astronema sank completely down and buried her face in her knees. "I know...he wasn't at fault...but I blamed him anyway," she heard the girl mumble. "I was just so mad..." she raised her head, and Sharie was even more surprised to see her lips tremble. "He...he still cares for me?" she asked hesistantly.  
  
Sharie nodded. "Yes, very much so. And he is miserable because he wants to talk to you and explain. The question is....would you want to talk to him, too?"  
  
There was a moment of slience before Sharie heard Astronema's strained whisper. "...Yes..."  
  
Impulsively, Sharie could not contain her next words. "If we get out of here, I'll do you a favor, okay? I can help you arrange a secret meeting, since I doubt you know Zhane's wherabouts."  
  
"Would you?" Astronema blurted before frowning. "But why? Why would you even *condone* this, much less help us? I am your enemy!"  
  
"Zhane is my friend. I'd do anything to help him, and when it comes to love, I am pretty nonjudemental."  
  
"Lucky you. But if you can arrange it....I will stop nitpicking you in battles, okay? A bargain for a bargain....but if you get in my way, however, I'm afraid that is your problem. Here's some advice, too: Beware of Dark Spectre. He sees you as much more than a slight threat...I fear he may have special plans for you."  
  
Sharie considered this, and also considered delicately prying information out of Astronema about Zordon, then dismissed it. It was too much of a risk. Not when she barely, but finally, had Astronema's trust, however temporarily. Instead, she only said, "Okay, I will see about dragging Zhane away for a couple of hours. Shouldn't be hard."  
  
Astronema toyed with the pendant at her throat. "Thank you," she felt compelled to say, even as it went against her training. "Few people have ever been...kind to me before. About the only one....was Zhane."  
  
Sharie sighed. "Zhane is that way." Inadvertently, her eyes were drawn to where Astronema was playing idly with her locket, and for the first time, she got a good look at it as the design flashed in the sunlight.  
  
She suddenly felt as if she had been kicked in the stomach..  
  
Astronema noticed her staring, and saw Sharie go pale. "What is it?"  
  
That pendant--or locket. Where did you get it?"  
  
"What is this, the day of my life story? I've had it since I was small, okay? I had a ring, too, with the same design, but it disappeared when Dark Dresden was attacking Earth. Why? Do you know anything?"  
  
Sharie swallowed. Something told her not to voice aloud the frantic, disbeliving thoughts whirling around in her mind.  
  
****  
  
Still, she knew she had to voice some reply, for Astronema was staring at her. "The design...I've seen it before, somewhere, but I don't remember, exactly..." It was a lie, but all hell could break loose if she said anything to the contrary. And surely it was not real...coincidence, maybe, but nothing more! It could not be!  
  
Now it was Astronema's turn to go pale. "Where? Where did you see it? The pendant is my last link to my first six years--I remember nothing of that time. I only know it was...important."  
  
Sharie swallowed again. "Astornema...how old are you? I think you are a lot younger than I first thought."  
  
Astronema rolled her eyes and wondered why she kept complying with the Violet Ranger's nosy questions. "I recently turned eighteen, now are you satisfied?"  
  
"Date of birth?"  
  
Now this was something Astronmea knew for certain. It was one of her few memories...her birthdate. She sighed and mentioned a date that made Sharie's blood run cold, and any color left in her face flee.  
  
Sharie knew she was pushing her luck, but she had to know. "Astronema...the attack with Dark Dresden...did you go to one of Darkonda's secret bases when I was there with Ashley?"  
  
"No! I don't know where Darkonda's bases are. I only know that during that time I had one of my blackout periods. It is when I lost my ring."  
  
"Blackout periods?" Sharie was puzzled, but if she was right...  
  
"I have periods of time where I don't remember anything. That time was the last occurence."  
  
Sharie sighed, resolute. Something was strongly warning her not to say what she was fairly certain of now. "Have you seen a doctor about it?"  
  
"Yes," Astronema sounded defensive. "Nothing is wrong with me. I am not crazy, if that is what you are implying."  
  
Now Sharie *did* change the subject. "I need a couple of fruits from that nearby citrus tree, for the acid. So I'm going to get them, okay?"  
  
Astronema stood up, limping, following her. "How would you? They are way out of reach," she observed.  
  
"Telekenesis," said Sharie, as if it were obvious.  
  
The princess of evil shrugged. "I can help you with that." She reached her hand out and one of the fruits pulled itself free, floating down into her outstretched hand.  
  
"Impressive," Sharie did the same, getting two more. She never used her telekenesis unless she absolutely had to. "I don't like doing that, it bothers me for some reason. You seem to be pretty good at it."  
  
Astronema shrugged. "I've always been pretty good at it, I guess, at least for as far back as I can remember."  
  
Sharie thought about this as she went back to one of the scanners she had been toying with. "I should be able to midfy this enough to cut through the atmospheric interference so I can call upon my staff. Then I can send you teleporting to wherever your Dark Fortress is."  
  
"And Zhane?"  
  
"Pick a spot where you can be alone for a few hours. I will handle Zhane."  
  
Astronema nodded. Sharie worked in silence for awhile, her thoughts screaming at her. Astronema...*was* Karone! Poor Andros, he would be *so* hurt if he knew...and yet, Astronema herself did not appear to know this....an evil spell? Sharie did not know. She did not sense anything like that, but she could not be sure.  
  
And she certainly could not tell Andros this. He would never believe her, claiming it was all circumstantial evidence. The only way he would ever find out the truth if he was confronted with this himself, and she was not about to do that for either of them. It would spell disaster. Still, it would have to come out soon, but not out of her lips so suddenly. But she had to tell someone else, just in case....Trey. She was certain that, testy has he had been lately, he would not be angry at her for helping the princess of evil and the silver ranger have a secret rondevouz.  
  
The scanner buzzed. "Okay, it is cutting through the interference. Violet Power Staff!" Sharie called. With a flash, it appeared in her outstretched hand.  
  
She turned to Astronema. "Are you ready? Do you have a place set in mind?"  
  
Astronema gave her a small smile and whispered a place and time in the near future. "And....thanks, Sharie. I'm afraid that, after this, except for the meeting place, our truce is at an end. Dark Spectre would have my hide if he knew about anything like this...or Zhane."  
  
Sharie only smiled back before sending Astronema teleporting away in a purple flash.  
  
Sharie vanished herself, thinking of an excuse to drag Zhane away for a few hours.  
  
****  
  
Aw, whyja drag me out here, anyways?" muttered Zhane. "What did you want to talk to me about?"  
  
Sharie inhaled slowly. "Actually, Zhane, it is not me, specifically, who wants to talk to you."  
  
"Then who? Where?"  
  
"There." Sharie indicated a nearby planetoid. "The person is waiting there for you." She slipped a small metal coin inot the folds of his black- and-silver jacket. "This is an emergency beam-out signal. Tap it three times and you will telelport back here immediately. Now, go. Do not keep her waiting."  
  
His sapphire gaze was clearly puzzled before he vanished.  
  
Sharie simply settled back, contenting herself for a long wait. She was not so foolish as to send Zhane in without a way to get him out quickly....after all, the person in question *was* a princess of evil. She hoped this went well.  
  
****  
  
He materialized in a dimly lit room, with a few windows showing a starry sky. Windowseats adorned the room, also.  
  
"Where am I?" he wondered aloud.  
  
"In a little hideaway of mine," said a voice that made his heart skip a beat. He whirled.  
  
"Astronema?"  
  
"Yes," she said simply.  
  
He looked confused. "Why...am I here? Why did Sharie...."  
  
"Sharie and I had a little talk," Said Astronema quietly. "I wanted to see you, Zhane. I wanted to say...I'm sorry."  
  
"...sorry?" he echoed. No wonder Sharie had slipped an emergency teleportation device on him.  
  
She sighed and hugged her slender frame. He could not help but notice she was still completely unarmed. "Yes....I was wrong, Zhane. You did not lie to me. Sharie confirmed the monster problem."  
  
"Is...that all?" he stammered as she came closer to him.  
  
"No..." hazel eyes rose to meet sapphire ones. "Zhane...how do you feel about me...*really* feel?"  
  
He swallowed. "Do you want the truth?"  
  
She nodded, her eyes...imploring him? he could not deny such a pleading look. He took a deep breath. "I love you, all right? Strange as it may sound, I cannot get my mind off you." In spite of himself, his hand came up to lightly touch her face. He saw her shadowed eyes and frowned. "What...why do you look so....fatigued? That illness we had was weeks ago. You should have been recovered."  
  
She smiled slightly, but it made Zhane's heart lurch. "Is it that noticeable? I am not ill, Zhane...only heartsick."  
  
"...heartsick..."  
  
"Yes, Zhane...for you." Unable to stop herself, her arms slid around his waist. "This is what happens to me when I love you."  
  
"Astronema..."  
  
"Let me..." she whispered hoarsely as one of his hands came up to the back of her neck. He could feel her warm breath against his lips as she tilted her face upwards, towards his. "Let me put this to you in a way I know you will understand." Her arms tightened about him. "Shut up and kiss me, Zhane."  
  
Suddenly, he knew it was a tone he would obey without heistation. Gently, he cupped her chin and eased her lips to his, his senses reeling.  
  
Astronema felt the most searing of fires sweep through her body with the gentle touch. It was unlike anything she had ever before felt, and it pushed her mind into a tailspin. She made no objection when he crushed her slender frame to him, indeed eagerly welcomed it. Gone were any lingering thoughts on the foolishness of loving somebody from the good side. Gone were any thoughts at all, save for the incredible, overwhelming sensations coursing through her blood, roaring, pounding with every frantic beat of her heart.  
  
Overshadowing it all was the vague thought that this was *not* wrong, this was right, very right. It did not feel vile to her like the other few she had kissed, the complete and overwhelming sense of belonging here in his arms was giving her the most complete feeling she had ever before known....and another part of her feeling desperately incomplete, a sudden fire and urging to seek the satisfaction that had lain dormant for so long, buried within the heart of someone not designed for evil in the first place...a heart that could feel love in it's entirity, and not be pushed to hide it.  
  
"Zhane..." she moaned softly as his tongue pushed into her mouth, teasing hers with an abominable ease that left her aching for more. His fingers ran through her hair, and suddenly, he found himself being crashed by wave after wave of need, and it instantly seemed the hardest thing to do to keep his hands from straying where they should not go.  
  
"As-Astronema..." he gasped, forcing himself to break the lip contact. "I-- I can't keep doing this...not when you do this to me."  
  
She looked at him, gasping for air, and her hazel eyes widened in surprise. She actually looked--innocent? "Zhane? What am I doing to you that is so wrong?"  
  
That wide-eyed innocence was even more appealing, and he swallowed painfully, trying to calm his searing blood. "Nothing wrong in that sense..." he ground out hoarsely. "Only in the sense that if it goes too far, it may be to late. I have no intention of dishonoring you, Astronema. I am not that type of guy."  
  
She blinked as she realized what he was implying. Still, if this did not happen *now*, she was afraid she would never get another chance. "You would not dishonor me," she murmured. "They don't own me like that, to regulate my movements so."  
  
"But how much would we respect ourselves afterwards?" he had to point out, forcing himself not to touch her, lest he do something unforgiveable. "I am not the loose type, Astronema. I don't want to make you feel used."  
  
A ripple of astonishment went through her. "You...would care about me so much?" she had to ask. For some odd reason, actual tears stung the back of her eyes. "Zhane, I would not feel used, I assure you....and I may never have the chance to be with you like this again. The next time I see you, it could be across the battlefield, no matter how much I might pray for your safety as I have done so much of late."  
  
She closed her eyes, and was mildly surprised to feel him kiss her again-- gently, this time. "I know," he confessed. "I am afraid of that, too."  
  
"I wish you and I could just run away together," she murmred with a faint smile. "Go to where no one knows us--but I can't leave. Not yet. There is too much at stake in my life--and no doubt yours. Life," she sighed. "It is cruel."  
  
"It is cruel to seperate us," he agreed. "But I don't particularly think this is cruel." He leaned down and kissed her again.  
  
"Mm-mm..." she mumbled, agreeing with him wholeheartedly. Her hands managed to find their way around his neck, and he suddenly felt her fingers there, teasing the nape of his neck as the intensity and hunger of the kiss more than doubled. One of her hands left his neck to wander down his chest and back upwards, and he almost lost coherent thought. Suddenly, he knew she was making it very clear she still wanted him.  
  
"I am not stone, Astronema," he groaned softly. "Please don't lie to me...are you sure?"  
  
For answer, she leaned into him again, opening her mouth and this time, it was her tongue who sought his with a vengence. She, who had been one to ignore her heart for most of her life, now followed it wholeheartedly, and eventually, she was glad she did, as both threw caution to the wind and let the paths of destiny take over for awhile.  
  
****  
  
It took the pair awhile to stir. Zhane was rather startled to awaken by kisses pressed against his neck and traveling upwards to his lips, and he was gratified that the look in her eyes told him, without words, that this had not been a mistake. He smiled and kissed her again before reluctantly pulling away. "I am afraid that we may be missed soon, Astronema," he had to remind her as he pushed her clothes into her hands. "Didn't you say something about nobody knowing that you are here? Much less with me?"  
  
She made a face. "I'm afraid that is true. Only Sharie, since she acted as go-between--I still can't believe she had it in her to condone such a stunt, much less help us."  
  
"Sometimes I think she knows things about us that we don't even know ourselves," he had to admit. "And yet, she is the most mysterious person I know. I wonder if it's even fair."  
  
She nodded in agreement as they finished dressing, then her face became somber as they stood up, and she found herself standing very close to him. She fought to say it, then sighed. "Zhane....my word, by reputation, my not be the best," she stumbled as he caught her hands and his piercing blue eyes met hers. "But...believe me when I say...I will never forget this...never. Not even if we can never do this again." She leaned up and kissed him lightly, as if they were sealing something between them. He did not disbelieve her, and was dimly surprised to feel her press something into his hand.  
  
He unfolded it, and gave her a startled glance. It was her picture, the one he thought he had lost.  
  
"Where did you get this? I thought I had dropped it or something."  
  
"You dropped it outside that theatre when you went to see that movie--'Star- crossed Lovers' I think it was."  
  
"And how did *you* find it, may I ask?" he suddenly sounded amused and embarrassed both at once.  
  
"*Think*, Zhane. Was there something familiar about that blonde girl who bumped into you that day?"  
  
Suddenly, Zhane felt like an idiot, and his foolish grin compunded it. "That...that was you?"  
  
"Yes," she giggled softly.  
  
"I should have known," he murmured, red-faced as he smacked his forehead with his hand.  
  
"I could not get you off my mind," she confessed. "I just *had* to see you." The sparkle in her eyes faded, and so did her smile. "I have to go," she murmured. "You see, not even Ecliptor knows of this place, and he will be frantic. He is, after all, my protector and father figure."  
  
Tears formed in her eyes. "Goodbye, Zhane," she whispered, leaning up and pressing her lips to his once more. The soft, gentle kiss was one he responded to with so much heartfelt emotion, her heart wrenched. She understood then that Zhane, for all his cheerful personality, was also a person of seriousness and deep emotion underneath. Leaving was just as hard for him as it was for her aching heart.  
  
Their lips clung, and the kiss did not end. Neither could bear to do so, for it would mean saying good-bye. Which could mean a good-bye of forever, and that forever could mean their hearts shattering to dust. Love found would not mean love lost, but it could spell disaster nonetheless.  
  
Only when his brain was on fire from lack of oxygen did he release her, and she stepped back, her expression bravely trying to be positive for his sake. He could not bring himself to say a permanent goodbye, but he did say, "I will not say goodbye. Until we meet again should suffice." He flashed her one more smile, the one that had made her fall for him in the first place, then he was gone, replaced first by a flash of silver light, then nothing, leaving her alone. Then, and only then, did she let the tears seep down her face, for there was nobody around to chastize her for it.  
  
****  
  
Sharie had been trying to read, but the fact remained that she had let the silver ranger alone with Astronema for awhile now. Although she felt no impending danger. She usually did feel danger before it happened, and nothing was alerting her senses now. She stifled her concern and tried to lose herself in her book again, but was privately glad when the flash of silver announced Zhane's arrival.  
  
Quickly, she put the book aside. "Are you ready to leave?" she asked softly.  
  
His blue eyes were lowered, and she saw him open his mouth and shut it. He was trembling, and she got up at once and led him to a bench. Only then did his emotions give way, althogh Zhane surprised even himself by starting to silently cry.  
  
"Did something bad happen?" Sharie asked as she let him hug her tightly, his head drawn to her shoulder. She hoped this had not been a big mistake, dragging him out here....  
  
"No," he whispered, dragging his sleeve across his flushed face. "It's just that...I...Sharie...thank you," he managed.  
  
He could say no more, but his hand grasping hers told her exactly what had transpired, and it had not been a bad thing.  
  
"You are my friend, Zhane," she said softly. "It is not easy seeing friends unhappy, you know."  
  
"How did you arrange it?" he asked, dragging his sleeve across his face again. "I admit you shocked me to my toes, Sharie, when I saw who was standing in the shadows. I briefly wondered what you had gotten me into."  
  
Sharie hid a smile as she briefly related how her pact with Astronema had come about. However, she stuck to the promise she had made herself, and did not reveal how she had discovered Astronema was Karone. "Zhane, will you be okay?"  
  
"I'll be fine," he sighed. "But it does hurt, Sharie, when you are holding the woman you love one minute and facing the realization that the next you could be seeing her across the battlefield, on the opposite side."  
  
"So you did work things out?"  
  
"Yes," he murmured, and suddenly blushed. Sharie was not surprised when this gave her plenty of indication *how* well things had worked out. It had worked out *very* well indeed, or he would not be acting so un-Zhane- like.  
  
She did not say anything to the fact, but she had to remind him of something. "Zhane, of course you know I cannot do this a lot. Maybe not again for a long while, if at all. My truce with Astronema is ended."  
  
He nodded. "I understand. You already went far beyond the call of friendship, Sharie. I am in your debt."  
  
"You are *not* in my debt," she countered. "I did what had to be done. And my lips are for the most part sealed on this matter. The only one I will be forced to tell is Trey, and for different reasons entirely. But I know my brother, I doubt if he would condemn you either."  
  
Zhane nodded in agreement, and was quiet for most of the journey back to the colonysite.  
  
****  
  
Sharie sat in the windowseat of her rooms on Triforia, idly toying with the crystal on her wrist, the one that Trey had given her on their birthday. It was fluctuating rapidly between yellow and an omnious grey, reflecting her conflicting emotions.  
  
She could not stop, it was what the crystal was designed to do. The yellow reflected her relief to finally be someplace familiar, but the grey showed her uncertainty and her jumpy testiness that refused to leave her. And it was increasingly growing, as if she was a ticking time bomb ready to explode.  
  
*At least it's accurate*, she mused idly. She wondered if she really should tell her brother what she found out. He had not really been surly drectly to her, but she did sense he preferred everyone at a distance at the moment. She had not seen him this way in years, and she did not quite recall the trigger.  
  
Or what was bothering her, for that matter. It was as if she should know, but for some reason, the cause would not reveal itself.  
  
*And I thought Triforians never forgot these things.* With a sigh, she got up and wandered outdoors. The problem of Astronema/Karone loomed heavily in her mind, and she hoped no one sensed her gloom.  
  
*How can I tell him?* she thought again. *How could I possibly tell Andros his sister has been under his nose and the cause of much of his misery all this time?! He would never believe me....he must find the truth on his own!*  
  
But was it right, keeping such a secret from him? She was afraid that if he did not disbelieve her, it would surely destroy him unless he were to face it head-on.  
  
And the girl that she and Ashely had seen in Darkonda's hideaway....it had indeed been Astronema. But she had not known it...."blackouts", she had said...was somebody influencing her somehow, that she could not recall her past?  
  
Sharie was so deep in thought that as she wandered the large gardens of the Royal House, she did not pay much attention to her surroundings. She was just rounding a corner of a garden wall when she crashed headlong into somebody.  
  
She gasped in surprise as they collided, and stumbled backwards, crashing to the ground. A sharp pain shot through her wrist as she landed on it hard, and she was sure she heard a faint *snap*.  
  
"Hey, watch where you are...." said an impatient voice, then Sharie looked up over her pain to meet her brother's startled gaze.  
  
"Oh my goo--I am *so* sorry, Sharie," he stumbled, scrambling to his feet and reaching to pull her up.  
  
She silently accepted his help, clutching her wrist as soon as she was on her feet and biting her lip over the pain. His eyes grew bigger as he saw her pain and he gestured. "Let me see your wrist, Sharie," he said softly, but firmly. "Gods, what did I do *now*?"  
  
She shook her head and backed away from him. "It is nothing. I am fine."  
  
"Dammit, Sharie, don't be difficult to me just now, please," he almost pleaded. She stared at him in shock--she had almost never heard him sound like that, certainly not in years! "Just let me see your wrist."  
  
She tried not to sigh--it was too painful, anyway--as she slowly extended her wrist to him. It did not look disfigured or swollen, but she was willing to bet she had snapped something, from the pain coursing through her hand and wrist.  
  
There was blood on it too, from where her arm had gashed sharply across some brambles as she had tumbled. Dismay covered his features, and his fingers felt along her wrist till he came to the area of her hand and wrist that contained the many tiny bones. A frown covered his face as his fingers sought out the area where there were many tiny bones in her wrist.  
  
Locating it, he pressed down firmly.  
  
She uttered a sharp yelp and jerked her hand away. "Ow! There!"  
  
She heard him swear softly. He had felt where some of the tiny bones weren't as they should be. "Dammit, out of everything else, I had to break my own sister's wrist."  
  
"It was not your fault," she tried to say, but he covered her lips with his fingers and shook his head, then touched the teleporter button on his communicator, transporting them into the house where the medical kit was kept.  
  
He hardly looked at her as he pushed her into a chair, medkit in hand. His face was mostly expressionless, but his eyes showed his conflicting emotions of a rhythm she had not seen in him in ages, an odd, impatient turbulence that almost made her want to recoil from him. Mixed in there was fatigue, also. Not physical fatigue, but the tired-of-life kind that said that things had been a bit much for him lately.  
  
That part Sharie understood, even though it pained her to see them both like this again. And, to her own personal horror, she found that, for once, what he was feeling did not make her feel all that much for him.  
  
"It wasn't your fault," she repeated again, wondering if it had been the emotionally wrenching adventures they had suffered through over the past couple of months that was finally getting to them. It was the type even the usual complascent Triforians could not blame somebody for feeling once in a while. "I wasn't watching were I was going. I was thinking too hard."  
  
"About what?" he asked absently, using an absorbent tissue to remove the blood from her wound.  
  
She squirmed. "I wonder to tell you or not. Especially in the mood you are in."  
  
"And what about me is so vile to you today, that I would not want to listen?" he asked, probably a bit more darkly than necessary. "I see it in your eyes, too, Sharie. And in this," he indicated the mood-revealing bracelet she was wearing. Dark brown, indicating annoyance, was around the edges, and swirls of a dusky purple and grey indicated that she was keeping something from him, and the firey red spotted here and there indicated anger at something.  
  
"So?" she shrugged. "It is not you directly, Trey--just something I never wished I had found out."  
  
"Found out about what?" he asked, not expecting an answer. She hid so much about her life from him still, which was annoying in itself at times. He did not expect her to tell him now.  
  
"I wish I had never found out," she repeated again to herself. Then, so he could barely hear, she whispered, "About Andros's sister."  
  
His head snapped up in surprise, and this time, his startled gaze did meet hers. "What did you say?" he queried. "What about Andros's sister?"  
  
She shook her head. "I found out too much," she mumbled.  
  
"Too much?" he repeated, and he suddenly grasped her chin and forced her eyes to his once again. "You learn something about Andros's sister, and you think it is too much?"  
  
She squirmed and jerked away from him, not liking how his dark eyes darkened further. "Yes," she whispered. "I did learn something, and it was more than I ever cared to know about."  
  
"Sharie, that is a really cruel way to think!" he sounded shocked and at least slightly upset. "You have told Andros, or plan to tell him, right?"  
  
"I cannot."  
  
"Why? Sharie, at times I just don't understand you." He dropped the pad back into the kit with a thump, and his eyes almost outright glared at her.  
  
"I said, I *cannot*," she repeated. "I cannot tell Andros this directly. It would destroy him."  
  
"Sharie Triesta, how can you say such a thing?" he snapped, his tone a mixture of shock and annoyance.  
  
"Because it would destroy him, and he would not believe me." Sharie felt her own anger spark at his tone.  
  
"You *must* tell him," he ground out. "What about all that he and the rest of the team went through to get us together, Sharie? Would you deny him the chance to get his sister back?!"  
  
"I said *I cannot*!" she snapped back. "It is heartlessly cruel to *tell* him the likes of what I found out, not the other way around! It is only something he can face for himself, not what I can simply tell him and have him disbelieve, not to mention the anguish he would go through because he would think I was telling him falsehoods!"  
  
Sharie could not believe his reaction. His eyes had narrowed, almost dangerously. "I had not thought you capeable of petty cruelty, or stupidity," he said shortly. "I think you are underestimating somebody who has been through much worse."  
  
"Stupidity and cruelty?" she hissed, her purple eyes by now glowing with embers of rage. "No, Trey, wisdom is more like it, wisdom you seem to not be showing at the moment. What I found out is so different from what we did know of Karone Andros would never believe me. That is another reason I cannot tell him directly! And don't you ever dare accuse me of deliberate cruelty again--I cannot believe you would dare!" she cried out.  
  
"That's because it still sounds cruel to me!" he yelled back. "All the torture Andros has gone through to find his sister, and you would deliberately deny him any leads."  
  
"You don't understand, Trey!" She yelled back. He cut her off.  
  
"I don't understand?! Almost twelve years of thinking you dead, at the very least lost and warped into somebody I would not recognize, and you say I *don't understand*?!"  
  
"You are not even letting me finish!" she cried out, backing away from his advancing figure. "You don't even know why!" Rage was coursing through her veins now, uncontrolled and unchecked. "Don't think I would have forgotten what we went through! But I am not Karone, and you are not Andros! This is different! I *can't* tell him, and right now, you are not helping any!"  
  
"And yet you would still deny Andros any chance of Andros ever seeing Karone again!" he yelled. "Are you so ungrateful, Sharie, or so unfeeling? A little disbelief and anguish on Andros's part will be well worth it when he finds his sister again!"  
  
"You don't know anything!" she yelled, then backed away from him as he continued to advance on her. He was too close, and he was grasping her good wrist hard. She tried to pull away, and she jerked back hard. She gasped as her heel caught on a chair rung, and she fell backwards as her other wrist came free.  
  
A sharp yelp came out of her mouth as her broken wrist connected with the floor again--hard. Trey stopped in surprise, and as she stumbled to her feet, she finally exploded. He was refusing to listen, she thought, and she was just short of doing something dangerous.  
  
His fingermarks could be seen on her other wrist, and her fall had torn open her wounds again, and they bled afresh. Blood seeped through the fingers of her good hand as it held her broken wrist immoble. She turned her fiery temper on her brother, and did not bother to soften the words.  
  
"Damn you!" she hissed, her eyes flashing and the daggers sending sharp stabs of fury right through him, right square into his middle. He had never, *ever* seen her gaze like that before, and most certainly never dreamed she'd turn it on him!  
  
"Get out of my sight, Trey Taryn Triesta, before I have anything else broken due to your damn temper! Don't bother talking to me again until you calm down and are ready to listen to the rest of what I was going to tell you--no, as a matter of fact, I don't even want to *see* you again until I decide I want to! So get out of my sight and just *leave me alone*!!"  
  
Without even bothering to look at him, she turned and stumbled out of the room, heading directly for her room instead to try and fix her wound herself. She certainly did not need *his* help.  
  
****  
  
Jeanette almost flew through the corridors as she hurried to the source of the shouting and the slamming of doors. She had heard the noise a wing away, and she did not know what to think. Arguments were a rare occurence in the Royal House.  
  
She did not even bother to knock at the door where she had heard the noise, she just entered to see Trey sitting on a chair, forehead in hand. He did not lift his head when she stood away from him a bit and folded her arms.  
  
"Would you mind explaining what all that noise was?" she asked, concerned. "I heard yelling clear from the next wing over."  
  
"Yes, I would mind," he muttered, lifting his head. She was shocked to see tears in his eyes--tears of some type of pain that was not physical. There was also guilt hidden in those depths, a horrified guilt she could not understand the reason for.  
  
"What happened?" she was forced to ask. She sat in the chair beside him and simply looked at him until he stumbled an answer.  
  
"Do you ever discover, out of the blue one day," he mumbled, "That you are far more dangerous to yourself and other people than you could ever dare realize?" The tears in his eyes brightened, and she could tell he was struggling to hold it back, the hurt in his gaze tearing at her.  
  
"That does not tell me much about what happened," she said. "Where is Sharie? Did you--" she stopped and shook her head. "I never thought I would really have to ask this, but did you two have an arguement?"  
  
Numbly, he nodded. Jeanette sighed.  
  
"I am surprised at you two, as close as you are," she murmured. "But I should not be, as testy as you two have been of late. I just don't understand why. Or why you think you are a danger to anybody."  
  
"Why do you think I force myself to hide my anger all the time?!" he burst out. "Because if I ever lose control, even for a moment, I can inflict real damage!" The horrified guilt flashed in his eyes again.  
  
"Damage?" she repeated. "Trey, what are you talking about? What did you argue about--and what damage?"  
  
"We argued about a sensetive subject," he muttered evasively. "As for damage--go ask Sharie yourself. You will see what I mean. You can shun me later. She certainly is."  
  
"Trey, you know I would never shun you, no matter what," said Jeanette quietly. "Everyone is entitled to anger once in a while. I am sorry to say your explosive temper comes directly from me. I have blown up in the past, it is nothing new--it is just rare for us, that's all."  
  
She leaned over and kissed his forehead before standing up. "Just give it time to cool down before you two try and talk to each other again. Your relationship cannot be destroyed because of a few angry words, likely it will all blow over."  
  
"A few angry words, ha," he muttered, his eyes threatening to overflow, but he forcefully held them back. "Just go see what happened to Sharie, then you will think differently. It is my fault."  
  
Jeanette shook her head as she walked out of the room. Surely Trey was exaggerating, she mused, as she went down corridors to Sharie's set of rooms. She did not bother to knock again before she entered.  
  
Sharie was sitting on her windowseat, staring outside. She did not bother to look at her mother as she entered. Her wrist was bandaged, and she also had a dermal regenerator on it, but not before blood had seeped through the cloth. She heard her mother's inhaled gasp of surprise, then saw Jeanette sitting beside her out of the corner of her eye.  
  
"Triune's peak, I certainly hope this has nothing to do with your arguement," she gasped, lifting the limp wrist as Sharie took little notice, except to wince in pain. "How did you get this?"  
  
"It was an accident," said Sharie woodenly. "If Trey told you otherwise, it is not true. I broke my wrist outside."  
  
She did not look at her mother, and Jeanette picked up her other wrist. "These fingermarks are not the size of your fingers, Sharie," she observed quietly.  
  
"That's not his fault either. He had grabbed my wrist while we were arguing, and he accidentally squeezed too hard, and Trey does not know his own strength. It was unintentional."  
  
"What has gotten into you two lately?" wondered Jeanette tiredly. "The only reason I believe you, Sharie, is because I know you two would not intentionally abuse each other even during your worst arguements."  
  
Sharie nodded, knowing offhandedly that this was true. But she did not tell her mother much more before Jeanette left, shaking her head. Gods, she had to be mother to the two most *stubborn* children in the universe....  
  
****  
  
Sharie toyed with the bandage on her wrist. No, it was not Trey's fault. It had indeed been an accident. She knew her brother too well The thought of hurting innocents horrified him to the extreme, and in her anger, she had practically thrown it in his face, blaming him for hurting her when it had not been purposefully done.  
  
Tears stung at her eyes, and she laid her head on her knees. She was a horrid, horrid person. In a matter of months, she had done it again. Let down the guard she held around her innermost, severe emotions, and hurting those she loved around her. Last time, she and Trey had had good reason-- Dark Dresden's continued ravages on their souls. This time--they had acted like immature infants. What the *hell* had been bothering them so much lately?  
  
And she should have known better to bring up such a sensetive subject when they were like this. The subject of kidnapped siblings was not plesant, to say the least, and she felt guilty for starting a senseless fight.  
  
Outwardly, it did seem cruel to deny Andros what she had found out. But she had plenty of good reasons.  
  
****  
  
"What has gotten into them?" muttered Jeanette to her brother-in-law and man she planned to marry soon, Tristain. "I have never seen them act so violently towards each other before."  
  
He had an old-soul wisdom in his eyes as he considered this. "I rather think we have seen this before, Jeanette, it has just not been seen by either of *us* in twelve years, now, and of course they never fought each other then. They both used to get like this at this time of year--look at the calendar, and it should be obvious."  
  
She did not have to look at the calendar for the blood to flee her face. Of course she had not forgotten the date--the anniversary of Teryan, her deceased husband's death, was within weeks now! She would never, never forget such a thing, never!  
  
"I know it is almost the time of year my Teryan died," she whispered brokenly. "How could I ever forget the pain? How could *you*? But after all this time--I did not dream it was still affecting those two so strongly. It still hurts, Tristain, but I grieved and put it behind me. You helped me do that. How--how can they still keep it locked up, after so long?"  
  
"I don't know," he muttered. "It is a wonder they even condone my wanting to marry you, Jeanette. Here I am, a living, breathing mirror image of my brother, a walking invitation for painful reminders--and they turn on each other."  
  
"They would never turn on you," said Jeanette, surprised. It was true that Tristain looked almost exactly like his dead brother. They could have been identical twins. "They love you as much as they did their father."  
  
"They are like the kids I never had," he admitted. A flash of pain crossed her face, and he winced. He had not meant to hint at the fact he would never have children if he married her. Jeanette could not have any more kids. Sharie had been a lucky accident, and that was that.  
  
"I'm sorry, I did not mean for it to sound like that," he whispered, contrite, hugging her. "When we marry, Sharie and Trey will become my children, anyway. I could not ask for more."  
  
"But what can we do about those two?" she had to ask. "I cannot have them flying at each other for the next who-knows-how-long."  
  
"I do not believe we can do anything about it," he had to say. "It is something they have to work out between themselves, Jeanette. I would not worry much."  
  
"I do worry," she admitted. "I worry a lot. There is so much they won't tell me, and it recently dawned on me just how much they are trying to spare me. Gods, I don't know the smallest fractions of the lives they have truly led! I barely know even anything of Dark Dresden's attack on Earth, because they won't spill! No wonder they are like this!"  
  
"We cannot pluck it from their minds for them," said Tristain wearily. "They are very close, Jeanette, closer than most people could ever get to each other. It can't be severed because of a few harsh words. We will have to give it time."  
  
"I know," Jeanette whispered as he held her. "I know."  
  
****  
  
Sharie knew she was right in not telling Andros, at least not yet. Even if he did believe her, which she doubted, he would insist on pillaging the Dark Fortress, and getting them all killed trying some stupid stunt she could not fathom to bring Astronema back. The only thing Sharie could think of to do was to try and turn circumstances so that both Red Ranger and Princess of Evil would realize the truth on their own and mutually agree to stop the madness that plagued their lives constantly. And it would not be easy--she was willing to bet a freak accident, a chance occurence, would reveal the truth, nothing more.  
  
But how to make Trey see this without another blowup? She felt horrible for what she had done, and she was not even angry at him anymore. Her flare of rage had cooled as soon as she had gotten to her room and she realized what she had verbally flung at him.  
  
She could not believe she had actually said it, either. How could she have *done* such a thing, flinging something so hurtful into his face?  
  
*I'm a jinx,* she thought to herself again, like she had been doing. *All I ever do is hurt the ones I love the most. Why am I plauged so--why do I plauge them so?*  
  
She sniffled slightly, and a single tear ran down her face. *Why do I even exist, really?*  
  
And she could not belive she was still upset at Trey. She was not angry at him; she still did not want to see him or talk to him for awhile. She needed to cool her heels and think about what to do next, salvage what parts of their relationship she could. After the damage she had inflicted with her cruel words, she wondered if there was any left.  
  
****  
  
*How could I have done this?* Trey wondered as he stared out the window of his own room that night. *The next time, I could accidentally kill her!*  
  
Her words resounded in his head again, *Get out of my sight, Trey Taryn Triesta, before I suffer any more broken bones because of your damned temper!*  
  
What was worse, he knew she was right. His temper was fierce unless he controlled it so strictly it would never, ever show. Looked what happened when it did! Maybe the broken wrist had been an accident with the first fall--but not the second, he doubted. He had not let go of her in his anger, and she had jerked back so sharply, trying to get *away* from him-- and she had fallen again, aggravating the break, probably severely. Not to mention the bruises she would have on her other wrist--Damn! After he had sworn never to do it again, not after that scene after Dark Dresden's death.  
  
And now what? He doubted she wanted to see him again anytime soon, he was surprised she was even still on Trifroria. Why hadn't he listened to her when she tried to tell him something so important? What about the whole deal had been the spark to ignite the intense emotions that had been broiling under the surface recently? While the thought of Andros not finding his sister, when someone obviously knew where she was still did not appeal to him, he should have heard her out. She actually might have had a legitimate reason.  
  
Instead, he had called her cruel, questioned her wisdom, and had not heard her out when she had tried so hard to tell him. Now, he doubted if he would ever know.  
  
Tired as he was, he could not sleep. Her words of anger echoed in his mind again and again, and refused to give him any peace. He wandered over to his bed and lay down on it anyway. His fingers brushed against the Tai'pan stone that he had lain there earlier, before this whole mess had started. It sensed the contact and started to play his song, "Angeliyeta" again. This stone, the one Sharie had given him for his birthday, had been the only means of peace he had had in past days. She had been right when she had told him, once upon a time, that it eased a person's worst moods.  
  
But now, it made him feel even more wretched. She had given it to him out of love, and it was because of the specialness of the gift, of the love given behind it, that made it ease his senses. Now, it felt glaringly absent, and he felt tears sting his eyes again. The frustration of the past several days threatened again to crash on him, and it took all his self-control to hold it back, force all that fire, hurt, anger, and pain back under the barrier that he was struggling to keep intact. It was not until hours later that exhaustion forced the darkness to claim his senses, and even then, his nightmares haunted him, dark images of his past, the howling winds of his past threatening to overwhelm him.  
  
****  
  
Sharie awoke with a choked sob the next morning, on the heels of another one of her unrelenting nightmares. She sat there as reality crept in, telling her that it was only a nightmare. As she had done so often before, she hugged her knees and rocked back and forth, silently, forcing herself to accept the truth that this was real, those days of Dark Dresden were long gone. She rocked until she felt her heartbeat slow, and she brushed her sleeve over her still tear-damp face, only then the dim reminder dawning on her that she still wore the osteoregenerator on her wrist.  
  
The events of yesterday came flooding back, and she stiffened with renewed guilt. *What now*, she wondered as she tugged her wrist free of the device. *What do I do now?*  
  
She pressed her fingers over the many tiny bones in her wrist, and she felt no pain, even when she flexed her hand. It was completely healed, and showed no trace of blood or bruising, or otherwise.  
  
However, on her other wrist, the fierce gripmarks from yesterday had deepened into purple-black bruises.  
  
She decided to leave them. They would heal in a day or two anyway, it was no use wasting a regenerator on just a couple of bruises, her ranger training told her. The Power would heal her faster than normal at any rate.  
  
After she had finished dressing, she stared at the door. She was not surprised to realize she did not want to go out, she did not want to chance meeting up with Trey, not if it was going to lead to another fight, if yesterday was any indication. All she wanted was to be alone for awhile.  
  
****  
  
That day was horrible. Sharie staked out the most distant corners of the gardens or the Royal House and stayed there. Her few chance encounters with Trey were brief, and she did not speak to him, hurrying away as soon as she could. She knew that she was only putting off the fact that she *would* have to talk to him again eventually.  
  
It was even worse for Trey. Every time he did see her, *whist*, she was gone in the next instant. If she did glance his way, her purple gaze went right through him as if he did not exist.  
  
And each time it did, it stung like never before. When someone you love so deeply turns their back on you, it feels worse than almost anything else imaginable. It makes you want to die, and it feels like they are doing it deliberately--a death by slow, intense emotional torture.  
  
The feeling was compounded when he saw her wrists. Her broken one was healed, she had done it herself. But her other one bore his fierce gripmarks, there for all to see in dark, angry bruises. It made him feel sick, really, really sick, knowing it was his loss of control that had caused her such pain.  
  
But what stung most of all was the lack of her presence on any scale, her manner that indicated, clearly, that he was not wanted in her life at the moment. He had sorely overstepped his bounds, and he rather thought this was a good way for her to put him in his place, along with the clear realization of how much he deserved it.  
  
****  
  
Jeanette watched sadly, an ache in her heart for her children as they fought their silent battles to overcome this latest barrier in their lives. What could she do? She could not intercede in any way that would satisfy her, their resentment would include her if she tried.  
  
"They are suffering because of how one is treating the other," said Tristain practically. "And I don't think they will stand for it much longer. It will work out soon,you will see."  
  
She ferverently hoped he was right.  
  
By chance, Trey came upon Sharie in the garden. He paused, and she did not see him, because of the angle at which he was standing. He was rather startled to see her lips tremble, and she was shaking with suppressed emotion. He had to fight the urge to go to her, since he well knew she would only push him away and run off. Two lone tears stole down her face, and suddenly, her gaze went to the heart-shaped pendant she wore on her wrist, the one he had given her for her birthday, the one that showed her emotions clearly.  
  
His sharp gaze could see the colors, swirling and reflecting her confused emotions, the purple-blue indicating her pain showing clearly throughout.  
  
He saw her lips tighten, and she suddenly gripped the chain, as if she could not stand looking at the pendant anymore. He was afraid, for a moment, that she would tear it off and throw it clear across the garden.  
  
She did not, though, as if she tighened on something struggling to break free inside of her, closing her fingers around her wrist instead, then sighing as she stood up. Trey had to duck out of sight, quickly, before she saw him. Right now, another of her see-through looks was something he could not stand to see.  
  
****  
  
This was really unfair to both of them. She could not stand it any longer, she had to talk to him. How could she have been so cruel, to deliberately turn her back on him today?  
  
That was what had come over her so suddenly in the garden, it was as if she was overwhelmed by his misery, when she knew she was not sensing him at all. When she had looked into the crystal on her wrist, she had realized that the emotions, portrayed in a confusing blend of colors, at least mirrored his. It made her want to cry, to suddenly berate herself for allowing him to feel such pain. Her own really *was* beside the point, as long as she could take away at least some of his pain, somehow.  
  
But where to begin? She had been looking through him all day, trying to avoid him. She had not been trying to punish him, she had only wanted to be left alone. But she suddenly realized how cruel a gesture those encounteres had been. She suddenly realized what she would have felt if he had been doing that to her, and she wanted to hit herself. She had done it *again*, thrown his shortcomings into his face...without saying a word.  
  
****  
  
Sunset was approaching, and Sharie had wandered to her favorite hillside to watch it, for once. Sunsets were different from sunrises, and she did not often have the time to watch Triforia's. She had climbed into a nearby tree and sat, idly staring westward, hoping for some peace to her tortured mind.  
  
She had not been there long when she got the sudden sense of someone approaching. She started, then glanced through the branches.  
  
It was Trey. He must not have realized she was here, and had come himself. This *was* a spot he frequented more than she did, she knew.  
  
As he approached, she saw his face. It was impassive, but certainly not his eyes.  
  
Her world wavered, and she nearly fell out of the tree as she saw the amount of pain in those depths. What she had seen in the crystal had been right. His pain did at least mirror her own, she'd had no right to do this to him. It was too cruel to do this to somebody she loved so much.  
  
He walked right on past the tree, for she knew he did not see her. She suddenly felt compelled to follow him, and as quietly as she could, she scrambled out of the branches.  
  
He did not go far, and did not see her silent approach. He had stopped on a hillside and sat down, staring at nothing in particular.  
  
Trey nearly jumped out of his skin when he felt a sudden presence beside him, and he started as he saw *Sharie*, of all people, drop down beside him on the grass, avoiding his gaze, staring directly ahead at the sunset soon to commence.  
  
Trey felt frozen in shock, he could not move. Why had she come? She did not seem intent on giving him any notice, so why was she seated now, here, beside him when she had not wanted to even see him yesterday?  
  
He could not help but see her face, expressionless, although he could not directly see her eyes since her face was not completely revealed to him.  
  
"Sharie?" he had to ask. "Why did you come?" He had to ask it, even if her answer would not be something he could stand to here.  
  
She still did not look at him, her gaze on her fingertips, and her bruises seemed to glare even more accusingly at him.  
  
For a moment, she did not seem deigned to answer, and he felt like crying all of a sudden.  
  
"I have three words for you, Trey," she said, quietly, and he could not read her tone.  
  
He bit his lip as she opened her mouth, then shut it. Suddenly, she turned to face him, and her purple eyes were glittering brightly with unshed tears.  
  
"I want to say--I love you." It was whispered as her eyes glittered even more brightly, her eyes threatening to run over.  
  
"I love you," she repeated. "And--and I'm sorry," she blurted, lips trembling as she shook. She seemed grateful when he unfroze and gathered her to him even as she spoke. "I am so, so sorry--I had no right to do this to you." The words simply tumbled free as her arms managed to find their way around him as well, tightly, as if a lifeline.  
  
For a moment, he couldn't speak; too flooded by a wave of guilt and sheer gratitude to even try.  
  
"I love you too, Lalinka," he managed to whisper after a few moments, holding her to his heart. Lalinka. He suddenly realized that he had not called her that in days. Usually, he used it three times as often as her real name. What had stopped him?  
  
"I need to apologize, not you," he murmured as she sniffled and leaned into him. "I caused you so much pain, and I refused to listen--and there is your wrist."  
  
"I have more to apologize for," she insisted softly. "I was so angry I flung the blame for my wrist right in your face--when I did it on my own. Gods, I got us into a horrid mess."  
  
"You?" he repeated. "It was I who refused to listen, when you tried to tell me something important. I still don't understand why I got so angry at you..."  
  
"Because of the subject matter," she muttered. "The way I put it was not right. Especially when we had suffered Andros and Karone's fate for so long, and Andros had helped to do so much to get us together. But I had my reasons then, and I have them now. I am sorry if this will still upset you, but I stand by my actions. But Trey--Can you forgive me?"  
  
"I still don't see why you are apologizing--but I will if you forgive me for hurting you." guiltily, his hand brushed against the bruises on her wrist.  
  
"I feel the same, but if it makes you feel better, I forgive you," she murmured.  
  
"In that case, I you also." She was glad to finally hear a smile in his voice as she felt his heartbeat beneath her cheek. "Trey--let's try to not be so stupid again, okay? And as for what I tried to tell you yesterday-- will you hear me out, without getting angry?"  
  
He nodded. "I cannot promise we will never fight again, Lalinka, I think it is notable that siblings do it every once in a while--but I will try my darndest to listen to you from now on." He pulled back, and was gratified to finally see a faint glimmer of light in her eyes. "Now, if you can stand to tell me, what happened with Karone?"  
  
****  
  
He listened, dumbfounded, as she told him everything that had happened, and her reasoning.  
  
"Now do you see why I can't tell him outright, because he would not easily believe me? Not to mention the danger he would place her in if he went to her with such a wild tale, no proof on hand? Somebody controls Astronema during her blackout period, she would never believe him."  
  
He sighed. "I think I understand. It is different from what happened to us. You were never evil. All right, Lalinka. I promise not to breathe a word, but I still think we should work on a subtle way to bring the truth to light--all right? They deserve that much--especially if it is possible to sway Astronema to the good side. There has to be some good in her, even if she doesn't remember Andros or KO-35."  
  
"Agreed." She felt relief as she hugged him again. Finally, the day looked brighter than it had in quite a while. "There is just one thing."  
  
"What?"  
  
"You have to swear, on your highest honor, Trey, that even if this does come out one day, you must never, ever reveal the fact I helped Zhane and Astronema arrange a romantic ronedevouz. I don't want to create conflict. And imagine the embarrassment."  
  
"Cross my heart, Lalinka." Far from condoning Sharie's actions, he was rather amused. Besides, if this could happen, it created hope for drawing Astronema back to the good side.  
  
His hand toyed idly with the fingers of her left hand as the sun set, and he felt the ring that Carlos had given her on her birthday. He frowned as something dawned on him.  
  
Wasn't she supposed to be wearing it on the other hand?  
  
Sharie sensed his hand stilling when it came into contact with the ring, and she knew that he had noticed the subtle change from one hand to the other. "Lalinka?" she heard him ask.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Aren't noncommital rings worn on only the right hand, in human tradition?"  
  
"True."  
  
"Then why is it now on your left, on the finger reserved for..."  
  
"Because Carlos gave me the ring, that's why."  
  
"Lalinka?" he sounded startled as he pulled back to search her gaze with his intense dark eyes. He had caught her subtle change of tone. "Is it...."  
  
"Not quite," she said. "The humans share our tradition of and engagement rings, Trey. They also have one for promise rings--sort of like being engaged to be engaged."  
  
"This is a promise ring?"  
  
"Well...yes."  
  
Suddenly, Trey had to laugh. "The intent is noble, and a good one," he assured her. "But....I confess I do not see the point of promising an engagment."  
  
"It simply means that an engagement is not final, but it will be the intent one day." Sharie shrugged.  
  
Trey only gave her a whatever-you-say smile before they fell silent, as the stars came out, one by one.  
  
****  
  
The Universal Musical Syndicate was one of the better radio stations broadcast throughout the universe for the pleasures of listening to a variety of music from infinite worlds. Many liked to hear songs from different planets, but this one, a little song from a tiny planet in an obsure corner of the universe, had speacial meaning for two people.  
  
Somewhere out there,  
  
Beneath a pale moonlight,  
  
Someone's thinking of me,  
  
And loving me, tonight.  
  
Zhane had dragged his transmitter with him on his hike, needing the space. As he sat on a hillside and gazed up at the stars, the song hit him with enough force to bring tears to his sapphire eyes, and he could not help but smile.  
  
Somewhere, out there,  
  
Someone's saying a prayer...  
  
On the Dark Fortress, a pair of hazel eyes similarily swam, and the owner laid her head on the glass of her windows as the song penetrated the ice around her heart...her soul.  
  
And even though I know  
  
How very far apart we are,  
  
It helps to think we might be wishing,  
  
On the same bright star....  
  
Suddenly, both souls felt a little more at peace.  
  
And when the night winds start  
  
to sing a lonesome lullabye,  
  
It helps to think we're sleeping underneath the same big sky!  
  
Somewhere out there....  
  
The end. 


	11. Shadow Mask

Disclaimer: Buena Vista. Power Rangers. Connected somehow. Me? I don't think fanfiction legally qualifies as connections, but boy I bet some of us wish it.  
  
This is the longest yet, and so far the last finished story in the official series I wrote. The next story has hovered for some time on being 3/4 done, but at the time, interest in PR, due to some bad seasons and a lot of fan sites shutting down at the time, prompted me to discontinue it for the longest time. I still have the story on file, and waiting to be finished, so if enough of you drop me a line and ask me to, I'll finish it. I've got plenty of fanfic, too, to revamp and put up, so I'm not done yet, including a some series-related standalone fics that will be posted shortly.  
  
Kudos to Starhawk for Color Withdrawl, and to my fans, for reading, and Mouse, of course, for being the other one besides ff.net to host my stuff.  
  
And NO, the birthing stuff mentioned here has nothing to do with my personal feelings on birthing procedures! I even *watched* my sister give birth to my favorite nephew and participated; coaching her along in a standard birthing procedure, and it was a beautiful experience to me. What is here is simple culture clash. (This is for the one who asked; you know who you are.)  
  
PG-13 for a small scene of brief sexuality. Nothing full-fledged like in story seven, promise. Also for bruatlity and rape references later on.  
  
Shadow Mask by ZeoViolet Teaser: Accept an evil spell, die, or fake it. Not much of a choice, hm?  
  
"Whoa, girl, easy there," said Billy as he removed a box from Cestria's arms, ignoring her protests. "I don't think you should be doing a lot of heavy lifting, not in your condition."  
  
"I'm *fine*, Billy," she said with infinite patience, attempting to take the box back. "I'm pregnant, not deathly ill."  
  
"Yeah, with *my* baby," he said, evading her grasping hands. "And already halfway through your term. "I don't know the real risks of you having a half-human child, Cestria. I don't want to aggravate your condition."  
  
"You make it sound like I'm dying or something," she joked quietly, succeeding in spiriting the box from him. "I am perfectly healthy, so is our child, and this package is *not* heavy. You're just flighty because this is our first baby."  
  
"What, I don't have the right to worry about you?" he grumbled good- naturedly as she set aside the box before turning back to him. "That would be kind of cold of me if I did not, wouldn't it?"  
  
"I know you are worried," she amended, wrapping her arms around him. "Don't be. Everything will be fine. It's just two and a half more months."  
  
"Of frantic waiting," he added to her sentence. "Yes, Cestria, I am worried about you; I love you. Not to mention your birthing traditions vary from my own."  
  
"You're still not comfortable with the idea of handling the delivery on your own, are you?" she asked, leaning against him. "It is our way. I don't see why you would be worried. It will still take place in the medical compound; the physicians will still be on standby in case something goes wrong. And you reviewed the procedural demonstration several times. Nothing *should* go wrong."  
  
"It's just not the human way," he amended. "I was raised to believe a *doctor* handles these things, Cestria, or at least a competent midwife. Fathers don't usually do it for moral and ethical reasons."  
  
"Why?" she asked innocently, her dark eyes searching his. "Seems to me I also heard that some of your societies had women go and give birth alone. Is there that much difference?"  
  
He sighed, not wanting to upset her, or make her think he would prefer his traditions over her own. "Definetly yes. Giving birth alone really isn't done anymore, because it's not safe or sanitary. Doctors do it because....because....it's not wise for the father to handle it on his own. Until recently, Cestria, most fathers were not even allowerd into the delivery room. What if something went wrong during delivery, the father could not save the baby, or it was stillborn? Can you imagine the guilt of feeling that tiny life slipping right through your fingers, and blaming yourself for not being able to save it? It's just too crushing. No father should live with that on his conscience." His blue eyes told her he was serious, and implored her to understand the implications.  
  
She frowned. "I think I see it from your point of view. If you really want me to..."  
  
"No," he interrupted. "It's your world, your traditions." he smiled. "I am still surprised you got pregnant at all. I did not even know if we were that compatible. Fatherhood is one of the best things I can think of--and also the scariest."  
  
"I think you'll do just fine," she smiled and ran her fingers through his hair. "As for the compaitiblity thing--I was not that surprised, it is not as if it had not happened before between humans and aquitians. It has many times with other people--Shayla is walking proof, isn't she?"  
  
"Yes--and her existence answered a question for Delphine as well," he chuckled. "She had been wondering about Triforian-Aquitian compatiblity. Well, if Shayla isn't proof enough, I don't know what is."  
  
"Well, the standard birth control concept did not work for us," he admitted after a moment's thought. "She is rather nervous, I can understand why. For the sake that they are both rangers in a dangerous time, I hope they are *both* taking precautions--not just her."  
  
Cestria blushed a bit. "Well, is that our business?" she chastized with a smile. "Oh, well, the precautions are worth the effort, just to get close."  
  
"Cestria!" he chuckled. "Although I agree." He leaned down to kiss her. "Now, let's finish fixing up the baby's room, shall we?"  
  
****  
  
Two flashes of sparkly color, one purple-gold and one black-gold, materialized in a seldom-occupied corner of Angel Grove North Park one sunny afternoon. It was a good thing nobody saw the newcomers appear out of thin air. Neither Triforian that materialized out of the sparkly columns felt much like answering questions.  
  
"Where'd they say to meet them?" asked Trey, surveying the nearby damage the cleanup crews were still working on repairing from that morning's monster attack. "Wow, what a mess."  
  
"The willow tree Carlos specified should be nearby--there," she nodded towards a distant group of monochromed teenagers. "What's the matter with Andros, I wonder? He looks like the world has caved in upon him. Carlos only said they had had a close encounter of the Astronema kind, and that there was some things they had found out that we needed to know."  
  
"Do you think it could be..." Trey began, then stopped. He was careful about how he brought up the particular sensetive subject only he and Sharie knew the existence of, one so sensetive it had caused them both pain.  
  
"Maybe....maybe the time is coming that I should tell him," Sharie whispered, blushing and looking down. Trey put his arm around his sister and hugged her gently as they walked along. He sighed, wishing they could let go of their mutual testiness and depression that had plagued them for some weeks now. He had not realized it had been so bad, and he still cringed in shame at the thought of his actions a week ago.  
  
Sharie, too, felt shame. For the first time in their lives, they had turned on each other without regard to the other's feelings. The consequences of the arguement had been extreme for both, and it was not something they would forget anytime soon.  
  
Trey did not understand this strange depression that seemed to haunt both him, and Sharie, it seemed, year after year. After a time, it would fade, but during that period, they would be moody, snippy, and just plain testy. Never before, though, had they turned on each other, and it showed the strain they were both under.  
  
The incident right after Dark Dresden's defeat had been different--that time it had been because they were so concerned about each other that had caused the major scene that had followed. Although it had been almost as emotionally disastrous. This time--the word 'infant behaivor' sprung to mind.  
  
*I just wish I knew the reason,* Trey thought. It was even more maddening because they both somehow felt that the reason was just below the surface of their thoughts, and yet was just beyond their grasp. Neither had an inkling that the reason was quite obvious to the two relatives closest to them, Jeanette and Tristain. To the siblings, they just figured that the constant stress of the last months had finally been getting to them and was making them crack.  
  
Sharie bit her lip, trying to push away the unwanted images. It had been the very subject of Sharie's finding out that Astronema was Karone that had led to their fight. She did not want to outright tell Andros, knowing that he would never believe her and if he did, the consequences of his knowing would possilby put them all in danger.  
  
Trey, on the other hand, without even hearing the full story--to his later, considerable shame--had felt that it was cruel to deprive Andros of such vital information, especially after all the red ranger had done to bring them together. It was only when, after they had made up and he had heard the full story, did he change his mind to any degree.  
  
Now, they were both moving around each other like eggshells, afraid of a repeat performance. They wondered if the moodiness and depression would ever stop, but at least they did not turn it on each other anymore.  
  
And all week, Sharie'd had more time to consider everything, as Trey had done. Perhaps, just perhaps, she could tell him, or arrange something. Despite her misgivings, she hated keeping this from the boy, and she knew that Andros could very well be furious with her for withholding such information, or not being trusted.  
  
She was not looking forward to telling him.  
  
Carlos was the first to spy the approaching pair, and he frowned upon seeing their carefully veiled, neutral expressions--especially his girlfriend's. Before she had even *left* on that diplomatic mission a couple of weeks ago, he had noticed it. And he did not like the realization that she, and Trey, too, it seemed, was still affected by some strange malady that looked like it was wrenching them apart.  
  
Still, he swallowed his misgivings and waved them over. "There you two are. We were beginning to wonder."  
  
Sharie forced a smile upon her face, false though it was. She did not feel like the genuine expression. "Sorry we're late. We were delayed."  
  
"Not unusual for you two." Carlos forced his misgivings aside for the moment, but promised himself to speak to Sharie later--if he could get anything out of Miss Closed Mouth, that is. He scooted over to make room for the two Triforians, who settled in without a sound.  
  
The veiled blank expression on Sharie's face made Carlos frown again, and as soon as she sat, he reached for her hand, hoping she would not jerk away.  
  
She didn't, though she blinked in surprise at his touch. A slow redness came over her features, and she suddenly looked up into his eyes, a small smile beginning on her lips at the devotion she saw in his intense gaze-- and small though it was, her smile was for real, this time.  
  
A surprise wave of warmth, and longing, had caught Sharie by surprise as she felt Carlos's touch tingling from her hand right up her arm. It crashed into her suddenly how much she had missed him; and staring into his intense eyes, she felt just a little bit better for the moment.  
  
*Carlos, you are a miracle to me, don't you know that?* The thought went unsent, but the flash of feeling could be seen in her eyes, and he understood she appreciated his gesture when she really needed it.  
  
Trey had not missed the exchange, and he cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Ah, okay, why did you call us here? What was this 'close encounter of the Astronema kind' mentioned?"  
  
Carlos blinked in surprise to see mild irritation flash across Sharie's face, before it resumed the placidness of her earlier expression. Trey did not miss this brief look of annoyance, and he quickly turned his eyes away, as if unable to bear it.  
  
Cassie, however, seemed oblivious to the whole scene. She only sighed and muttered, "Wait till you hear what we heard about. Or rather, saw."  
  
At this, Andros only looked more miserable. Sharie saw Ashley hug him even more tightly, and he laid his head on her shoulder in a surprising gesture of comfort and trust.  
  
Carlos felt his puzzlement grow as he noticed Sharie see this, and her gaze became contrite and upset at once. Without looking at him, she groped for Trey's hand and squeezed it, hard. Trey blinked, at his gaze returned to Sharie's, looking both guilty and grateful at once.  
  
*What *happened* between them?* the thought sprang on Carlos suddenly. They were definetly acting strange, even with what had been plaguing them recently. *Why do they feel so guilty about each other?*  
  
"What happened?" Trey asked tonelessly. Carlos sighed and forced his attention back to the matters at hand.  
  
"What didn't?" asked Ashley. "Astronema happened, that's what. And maybe I should add that the shadows of Karone reared themselves again?"  
  
Sharie's eyes widened, and she looked at Trey for a moment. Something unsaid passed between them, but they said nothing.  
  
"My sister's been under my own nose this whole time!" Andros suddenly came out of his trance. Even Sharie blinked in startlement at his outburst. "I still can't believe it--I don't want to! But--but...." He shuddered as Ashley only clasped him harder.  
  
"Astronema is Karone," Ashley finished for him. "All of us were shocked, but nobody more than Andros."  
  
"I still don't want to believe it!" Andros ground out, sniffling slightly. "My worst enemy is bound to me by blood." He stopped, his reddish eyes widening as he noticed that neither Sharie or Trey seemed particularly astonished. "Hey--why aren't you looking surprised? This sure shocked the hell out of me!!!"  
  
Sharie and Trey exchanged glances again, and Carlos saw that look pass between them again.  
  
*No way!* The thought flashed into his brain. "Don't tell me you....knew," Carlos dared to whisper.  
  
Sharie actually lowered her eyes in submissiveness. *Here goes.* "We knew," she blushed scarlet. "I have known for over a week now."  
  
The stunned silence lasted exactly thirty seconds.  
  
"You....*knew*?" exclaimed Andros at last, in complete shock. "You....knew, and didn't...tell me? Why?" He looked too shocked to be angry, but the sudden hurt was evident in his voice. "Didn't you trust me?"  
  
Sharie's lips trembled. "It's not that," she whispered. "I trust you, Andros, more than most, believe me. It's just that...." she trailed off. "When you found out Astronema was your own sister.....you didn't quite believe it, did you?"  
  
"I still can barely believe it, much less accept it," he muttered, rubbing at his eyes. "What does that have to do with this?"  
  
"If I came to you with some wild tale about something like this, with absolutely no proof on my person, would you believe me?" she challenged softly. "Or if you did, could you stop yourself from trying something drastic?"  
  
"I...." he trailed off, and simply sat and blinked at her, contemplating her words. "I don't know," was his uncertain reply at last.  
  
"I thought so," she said softly. Quickly, she told an edited version of what had happened. She left out the part of Zhane and Astronema. Not for all the prestiege and wealth in the universe would she tell him or anyone else--except Trey, who already knew--about that.  
  
"I...I knew, after everything fell into place, who she was," Sharie confessed, still not raising her eyes. "I *know* how much you and the others did for us, Andros," she swallowed, still not looking at him. "You don't know how badly I wanted to tell you---but it is also so different from the circumstances Trey and I went through. It was too dangerous-- especially now." She sighed. "Does--Astronema have any inkling of your blood ties?"  
  
"Yes," muttered Andros shortly. "But I doubt she believes it, though. She tried to kill me." His hazel eyes darkened in determination. "But I will bring her back, though. Somehow, there has to be a way to reach her."  
  
"It's why I resisted telling you!" Sharie burst out before she could stop herself from curtailing her words. "I was so afraid something like this would happen, if you did by some chance believe my wild tale without confronting it yourself. You would either go and not tell anybody, or drag the rangers into some risky mission that could get you all killed."  
  
She sat still, waiting for Andros to blow up. She had just dumped quite a load on his already overworked senses.  
  
He didn't.  
  
"You're right," she heard him mutter instead, as if he was making the most difficult admission of his life. "I would have. I don't know how you know me that well, but--you're right. I....I have no doubt I would have tried something drastic."  
  
Sharie gaped at him in surprise. That was so un-Andros-like it was almost unreal. "Are you...." she began, then stopped. "There were so many times I almost overcame my better judgement and told you. There were....plenty of advocates for the idea." A flash of pain crossed her face. "Trey knew because I told him. I thought somebody else should know, in case. But I figured you just wouldn't believe me, and you had to face it yourself, which you obviously have."  
  
She hung her head again. "I am so sorry, Andros," she whispered. "I simply tried what I thought was best. I don't blame you in the least if you are angry at me for taking matters into my own hands that were not my business, or for not coming forward right away. I will leave, if that's what you want."  
  
She would have risen to leave, but she was startled to feel a hand suddenly grasp hers from across the way. She looked up in surprise at Andros, whose eyes were full of tears, but no anger.  
  
"It's all right," he whispered hoarsely. "You were right, Sharie. I don't think I would have believed you--who wants to find out their sibling is their own worst enemy? Especially one they have hunted for for so long, and never hoped to find?" Color rose on his face. "I don't understand your inner ablilty to judge me so well, but you were right."  
  
"But does that mean you can forgive me?" she whispered painfully. "Trey is not part of this; he knew, but I made him stay quiet, although he didn't want to. It took--" she paused, then searched for better words. "It took some quality talking to convince him otherwise. If you do have any blame, it is with me and me alone."  
  
A faint smile touched the edge of his lips. "You're forgiven. Really," he said, upon seeing the disbelief on Sharie's face. "You are forgiven for giving me my second near-heart attack today. What you did showed how much you cared for me, and for all of us, and I am grateful for that. I know how much you and Trey went through to get together, but it came out all right in the end, didn't it? I figure this was perhaps the best way to start with my own sister, since neither of us got hurt, as it might have ended up doing if you had followed your compulsion to tell me instead of listening to your brain. Maybe--now that we both know....I have a chance with her."  
  
"Thank you," Sharie murmured, grateful. "Andros--I was so afraid you were going to kick me out of your life for something like that."  
  
"No. I am constantly reminded how much my friends care for me," he assured her, and smiled at Ashley. "Without you guys, I don't know where I would be now. I don't even see how I could have existed without you all as friends."  
  
To Sharie's surprise, he leaned over and hugged her gently. "Thank you," he murmured again. "And...what else you told me about what happend...I am glad to know. Especially since I had been thinking that Karone you and Ashley saw was a fake."  
  
"Oh, she was the real thing," Sharie commented, returning the hug quickly. "Just some sort of spell or brainwashing I am not familiar with that lets Darkonda control Astronema at impromptu times. I would hate to be controlled by an evil spell."  
  
****  
  
Trey said not one word throughout the whole conversation. He did not feel he had any right to such a conversation, except to admit his own involvement, and Sharie didn't give him a chance, placing all blame upon her shoulders alone. All it did was make him feel worse.  
  
And the feeling doubled when Andros admitted she was right all along in not just coming out and telling him right away. Trey recalled how angry he had been at Sharie for wanting to keep this information a secret; he had, without her even explaining first, wanted to go and tell Andros right away. It had, coupled with this strange malady that would not leave them, led to the fight and the mental anguish that followed.  
  
He couldn't quite bring himself to look at her anymore. *Will this never end, so I can go on with my life?*  
  
He struggled to keep from sighing. Some inner part told him he was being foolish, but he just did not need any more feelings of guilt on his conscience right now. And in this matter he certainly was guilty. That day, he had come very close to actually contacting Andros, and he knew that if he had done it, he could have caused an unimaginable tragedy.  
  
However, he fought his best to hide it, especially when he noticed Carlos giving him long, thoughtful glances, and frowning on top of it. So it had not escaped Carlos's notice, either. Was it that obvious to *everybody*?  
  
Inwardly, he knew it was really, really stupid to play this game of 'what if', as well as totally unlike his complascent, composed nature. How he wished that he could find the real reason for this emotional struggle; he hoped that at least understanding why could help him put it behind him.  
  
He forced his personal feelings aside. Now was not the time; there were more important issues at hand. He listened as the Lightstar Rangers went into detail over what had happened that day, and was frankely surprised at the enormity of the issues at hand. If Astronema had been reached, even for a moment, especially after the incident with Karen and Andrew, then there was a possiblity, after all, of her being lured to the side she belonged to. He could see in Andros's eyes this ferverent wish; now that Karone was found, he was determined to bring her home, where she belonged. Trey himself realized that he would fight tooth and nail if he had to, to help bring Andros the peace he deserved.  
  
****  
  
Sharie squirmed as she realized that Carlos had indeed noticed the conflict that had just passed. She was not sure she liked the fact he was so astute even without at least empathy; it showed how well he was beginning to understand her; even as much as she tried to hide things from him. But she did not want to him to see her like this; she should not have to burden him with her troubles when he had enough to deal with; the stresses of Rangerhood were not to be taken lightly.  
  
But then, *why* couldn't she resist when she felt his hand on her arm and saw that smile on his face, the cocern in his eyes? Why did she nod her head as she heard in her mind, *Care to go for a little stroll, Querida?*  
  
The discussion had lapsed into a general silence anyway; hardly anybody noticed when Carlos silently pulled her to her feet and slid his arm around her. Sharie's eyes met Trey's for a brief moment, and she was startled to see some form of new guilt in them, for a reason she could not fathom--but it immediately slipped her mind when Carlos pulled her away from the group.  
  
For a moment, as his arm tightened around her waist, she felt the burden she had been carrying so heavily lately slip just a fraction. She closed her eyes and leaned against him as they walked away, suddenly so exhausted she could not keep her eyes open.  
  
"You want to talk about it, Querida?" she heard Carlos ask softly. She sensed he did not really expect a reply, but would appreciate anything.  
  
"I...." She could not find her tongue in any case. "It is difficult, Carlos. Personal."  
  
He paused, turning and holding her close to his heart. He seemed to encourage her to simply relax against him, her head laying on his chest, where she could feel the steady, soothing thumping beneath her cheek. He heard her sigh, and as her control slipped fractionally, he heard the barest whisper, not directed at him, *I am so tired of life. I wish I could stay like this forever.*  
  
"Hopefully, some day you can," he whispered. She stiffened, and realized just how much her control was slipping of late, if he could hear things like *that*. "Carlos..."  
  
"Sh, Querida," he soothed. "Don't you know by now that your pain is mine? I know when you are trying to hide things from me? That I know when something is eating you alive? I've known about your depression for weeks; why don't you say anything? You or Trey. No, don't say anything yet," he quickly covered her lips with his fingertips when she opened her mouth to object. She shut it without protest; another thing that worried him. Sharie was never that complascent; something really had to be wrong.  
  
"What is happening to you?" he asked. "I won't demand a whole bunch of specifics, Querida. The way you are now, that could snap you. But I wish you could give me *something*, some indication of what is eating you and Trey both. It seems that no sooner do you two get over one problem then another hits you in the face, dead-on."  
  
She simply stared at him, astonished. How was it he was so acute to the situation at hand? Had she lost so much control of herself that she was going insane? Trey too, for some reason she did not understand?  
  
"I don't know," she whimpered at last, her throat burning. "I don't know what is happening to me. Or Trey. It just....happened...."  
  
"This....depression?" he asked, trying to follow her. She nodded mutely.  
  
"You don't know the reason?" he prodded gently. She shook her head, again making no sound.  
  
"Sharie Triesta, if you were anyone else; I'd say that all the stress of the past months was finally getting to you," he mused seriously as he rubbed her back soothingly. "But...there is more to this, much more. I can tell, so don't deny it. You can't lie as easily to me anymore as you can the rest."  
  
"I don't know the reason," she whispered, so faintly he had to strain to hear her. "I have never known the reason.....when this happens...."  
  
His hands stilled. "When this happens?" he echoed. "This has happened to you before, is that what you are saying?"  
  
She nodded her head against his chest, not saying anything.  
  
"Then....why is Trey as bad as you?" he asked. "I have never seen him look so guilty before...."  
  
"Happens....to him too...." was what he could hear. The rest of her reply was a soundless murmer.  
  
"And....you have no idea why? At all?"  
  
"No," she mumbled. "It...happens every year, around this time, I guess. Neither of us....understand why....I did not know it still happened to him after all these years like it did to me...I was hoping he would not. He still does." Suddenly, the words spilled out of her. "Every year....around this time....it hits us. I don't know why. I feel as if I should know, as if it's just under the surface, but I can't recall! It's like a knife in my chest, Carlos! A knife I can't unsheath, no matter how hard I pull!"  
  
She was trembling, and he hugged her harder as she fought for control. "That's awful," he whispered, as her trembling slowly stilled. "And it's happened over and over again, all these years?"  
  
She nodded.  
  
"And it makes you both testy, jumpy, just plain irritable?"  
  
"You might say that." Sharie sniffled slightly, fighting back the burning in her eyes, refusing to give in, as usual.  
  
Carlos frowned as he remembered the pained look on Trey's face, and their apologetic exchanges. "It makes you short-tempered, too, right?"  
  
She nodded.  
  
"Enough so that a minor disagreement suddenly would become a major issue?"  
  
He heard her inhaled gasp, and she jerked back to look at him. He knew. He *knew*, somehow, that something had happened to her and Trey...but how? How was Carlos so acute, without being telepathic?  
  
"Sharie, I am not blind," he continued softly. "I see the strain between you and Trey. Even two depressed siblings should not be behaving so, as close as you two are, unless you had some sort of brawl. Did this happen?"  
  
He was shocked to see tears of anguish fill her eyes as she nodded, trying to pull away from him. "Let me go," She whispered.  
  
"Oh, no you don't," he insisted, catching her before she could slip away. "I know you want to get something off your chest. What happened? Dammit, Sharie, don't be so difficult when it comes to your own feelings, for once!"  
  
She actually stilled. "We fought," the words tumbled out. "Not just fought, it turned into a major battle. I had known Karone was Astronema, and I did not want to tell Andros. Trey disagreed. Before I knew it, we were screaming at each other--at the tops of our lungs."  
  
The words stopped, as abruptly as they had begun. She curtailed her speech before she could say anything more. No way, not for the universe was she going to tell him about the wrist she had broken in a fall, but Trey had accidentally aggrivated, or the bruises he had unintentionally left from his grip on her other wrist during their heated exchange. Carlos would be beyond furious. He did not even know how she had gotten those other bruises--he thought Dark Dresden had inflicted those. Better to let him think that then blame Trey. It was not Trey's fault either time, but Carlos, knowing him, would be angry enough to accuse Trey of abuse, and Sharie would not stand for it.  
  
Neither time had he abused her. Trey would rather cut out his own heart than hurt her deliberately. But for both of them, when the passions of anger took over, they had not guarded their words or their actions, and the results were ones they would never forget, unintentional as they were. Anger wa such an ugly emotion, and the Triestas were cursed with a fierce temper that ran through the bloodline, one that almost never showed, but could inflict real damage.  
  
"I would never have thought you two were capeable of even yelling at each other," Carlos mused. "But what a subject to disagree upon! I have never lost a loved one like that, Querida, but I think I can see it from both of your points of view. No wonder you fought--I would have been warring with my own conscience. But....I think you did the right thing."  
  
She snorted. "I warred with myself a great plenty. I am still doing it. Andros had done so much for us. Who was I to keep this from him? But how could I subject him to such news when he would not believe me--or if he did, he would have done something so impulsive he would have placed himself, or you all, in reckless danger. I hate to say it, but especially before he met you all, that was something Andros would have done without a second thought. I couldn't do it unless he faced up to the situation himself. I am just glad I did not have to tell him myself--he found out on his own."  
  
"You and Trey made up, didn't you, Querida?" asked Carlos gently. "You were walking closely together, and seemed to be getting along, but there is still a strain between you."  
  
"Carlos, you are too acute for your own good," she moaned. "We're both guilty and still feeling the pangs from the fight, as well as the effects of this....depression, as you put it. There's probably a lot more involved, I dont' know....I wish I understood. I just want it resolved so we can get back to normal."  
  
"Acute, hm?" he asked as she sighed. "Then I am right in sensing you want to get off the subject?"  
  
"You got it."  
  
Carlos thought it was about time he interjected some humor into the situation. "I bet I know how," he said, a bit wickedly.  
  
"Oh?" Sharie doubted it.  
  
He made not another word as he stopped abruptly, jerked her tightly to him, and bore his lips down on hers with a fierce intensity.  
  
He moved so fast he cut off her startled gasp of surprise. She stilled for a moment, a wave of unexpected, and certainly unhindered, emotion sweeping through her.  
  
All at once, she surrendured. Everything crashed in on her, and she was at a loss to think of stopping him. All coherent thought swept away as she slid her arms around his neck, opening her lips to his probing tongue as a fiery electric current seared her brain.  
  
He knew it had worked when he heard her moan, low in her throat, and she started to return the kiss with the deep passion he knew she was capeable of. He himself could not suppress a tremble of desire as his hand swept up her spine and massaged her neck gently. He could feel the ultratense muscles there relax even as the gesture raised her inner fire to greater heights.  
  
For once, she let him take complete control, too dazed to do anything but follow his lead. All she could think of was how long it had been since she had been with him the way she wanted to be now; how many long, lonely weeks she had been unable to be around him because duty intervened.  
  
Carlos, too, felt this powerful pull. Gods, how he wanted her! It had been too long, and her presence now was drugging him past the point of all control. Just in time, he reluctantly disengaged his lips from hers, sure he heard her faintly whimper a protest.  
  
"I...uh...sorry...." he stammered. "You are upset....I should not have let it get that far...and..."  
  
"Oh, shut up," she muttered abruptly before kissing him again. *You started this, Perez, and you are going to finish it!*  
  
*What?* he sent, utterly shocked. But the intensity of her lips on his reminded him, too late, of the consequences of unleashing her powerful passion. *Are you nuts? Now?*  
  
*Now.*  
  
*But the others....They're waiting....* He could only kiss her harder and more frantically as she moved against him, knowing exactly how to get a reaction out of him by now.  
  
*We've been gone some time already, they can wait awhile longer. I doubt they expect us to return for some time anyways.* All of his resolve melted, he could not resist her, especially with the pain of seperation being the most enticing reason for wanting her now.  
  
He felt her fingers fumble at her wrists, and suddenly, sparkles obscured his vision. When it cleared, he dimly realized they were in her bedroom. Without a hitch, he lifted her in her arms and carried her over to the bed, determined to drive the demons from her head...at least for a little while.  
  
And boy, Sharie was to reflect later, did he. His knowing hands set her afire, both by now knew exactly how to get the other's ardor up, and by the time he thrust into her, he could hear her mentally crying out with the pleasure even when she did not utter a sound vocally. They moved into the same ancient rhythm, and finally exploded, the golden starbursts radiating through them flaring with a final, intense whiteness that catapulted them to the stars, a place where neither could think, and for awhile, one could forget.  
  
****  
  
When his brain cleared at last, Carlos considered her reaction. Gods, as passionate as he knew she could be, he had never seen nor felt emotion from her like *that* before. Mixed in with her unusually intense passion he had sensed a desperation, a fierce need for him he had never before felt in her. What had just transpired had been the most emotionally intense experience of his life, one he would not trade for the universe.  
  
As he heard her own breathing slow, his eyes wandered the many pictures on her bedroom walls. They settled on a picture of Sharie, as a young girl maybe six or seven, seated with a couple that looked remarkably like Marek and Marisha Thoene, but Carlos knew to be her adpotive parents, the ones that had also died. The man had the same serene, wisdom-endowed qualities as his twin brother Marek, the same intense black hair and midnight eyes, and rugged, handsome good looks. The woman had a face nearly identical to her sister, who was only a year or so younger--the same pure-gold eyes and liquid-gold hair that fell in ringlet-curls to her shoulders, her delicate features in a heart-shaped face intensifying the effect. They looked like a happily-married couple, ready and willing to face any future that befell them--a future that had turned tragic.  
  
He knew it was a nerve center for Sharie that she wanted to remain untapped. She had almost never spoken of them, except to illustrate how much they had meant to her. Carlos barely even knew their names....Madhea and Donningan Thoene. Both had been physicians, like Donningan's brother, Marek, and Madhea's sister, Marisha. Carlos only knew that Donningan had died of menenginitis when Sharie was nine and Madhea in a car accident when Sharie was fourteen. Other than that, like when he had asked about Tristain, her birth father, Sharie had refused to go into much detail. And she hadn't, the act alone making Carlos keenly aware of her intense pain she veiled from him on the matter.  
  
He sighed as his gaze swept back down to the young woman who was curled at his side, her eyes closed and her breathing now slower, the look on her face for once unmarred by anxiety. A tinge of uneasiness ran through Carlos, he sincerely hoped she would not view what had just happened as his taking advantage of her emotional state. He had, when he first kissed her, only meant to make her forget a little, not have her explode on him like she had. Her emotions had been more under the surface than he realized, for her to have such a lack of control over herself, and it was his fear that she would somehow blame him for it.  
  
"I don't," she mumbled, and he started in surprise. "Get the idea out of your head, Perez."  
  
"Reading my mind, Querida?" he asked, to cover up his reaction. Her eyes opened, her purple eyes fixing on his dark gaze and drawing him in.  
  
"After what just happened, my control isn't back up completely yet. Yes, I most certainly heard that." She yawned and reached up, wrapping her arms around his neck. "No, you did not take advantage of me, Carlos. I have told you before that you can't control me in that fashion. If I had had any inkling of a doubt, I would not have led you on."  
  
The ring on her left hand suddenly flashed as to prove her point. Carlos relaxed, and caught the hand to kiss it. "Has anybody noticed the switch yet?" he asked, amused. "Nobody has noticed so far that my ring switched hands. What about yours?"  
  
"Trey noticed, right after we had made up from our fight," she admitted ruefully. "But he's the only one who's noticed. I wonder why nobody else has?"  
  
"Maybe because we've both been very busy lately, and very subtle?" he suggested. "No wonder they haven't noticed. Lately, Querida, it's been one thing right after another."  
  
Sharie yawned, and leaned up to kiss him one more time. "We had better get back, before we are *really* missed," she mumbled dejectedly. "It's been an hour. Especially with what's been happening breathing down our necks, I am sure they have noticed we are taking a very long 'walk'."  
  
Carlos nodded reluctantly as he reached for his clothing. She was right; they would be missed. And at least he had attained one goal, no matter how short-lived: pushing the pain and sadness from her eyes for awhile, however temporarily--even if he had forgotten about the insatiability of her passionate side.  
  
****  
  
To their surprise, everyone was still gathered underneath the willow tree, the subject having shifted to slightly more plesant topics. Only Trey and Andros remained quiet, not speaking unless asked.  
  
Ashley was the first to spy the approaching pair. "Hey, guys!" she greeted, waving her arm. "Long time no see. What'dja do--walk to the city limits and back?"  
  
A faint blush did steal into Sharie's cheeks as she decided not to answer that one.  
  
"Close enough," mused Carlos. "Everything still in one piece here?"  
  
"More or less," said Ashley. "Just that with this new twist on matters, things might get very intense for awhile. We don't know how Astronema is going to eventually deal with this news--and we're going to somehow strive to bring Astronema over to our side. If she can show pity to two children like Andrew and Karen the way she did, then perhaps she can be reached."  
  
"I hope so, too," agreed Sharie, her eyes lighting up just faintly. "I certainly hope so, for all our sakes."  
  
****  
  
Just before everyone decided to leave, Sharie's communicator went off. She backed away out of earshot before activating it. "Yes?"  
  
It was Shayla. "Hey, Sharie. I've finished looking over those Zeo parchments you let me read, and this is going to sound crazy, but--I might have an idea where the last of the Three Sisters powers is hidden on Triforia."  
  
Sharie was not sure she heard right. "What?"  
  
"You know, the Silver Zeo Powers? Very little was known as to even their existence before you even discovered the parchments. Well, they don't yeild much more information, but it gives a few clues, enough to give me some ideas."  
  
"Shayla, you don't even *know* Triforia well enough yet. Don't tell me...you are planning to go on a power-hunting quest, are you?"  
  
"Sure, why not? Haven't you learned of my sense of adventure by now? Life on Aquitana II was so....well, dull. Most Aquitians might like a simple quiet life, but my Triforian blood supercedes any other part of me. It's an urge I can't ignore."  
  
Sharie shrugged. "Then don't ignore it, by any means. It's the worst thing you can do to yourself, trying to ignore who you are--trust me, I know." Sharie made a sour face at herself. "Good luck. If, by some far chance you can actually *find* the powers, I know you will do good with them."  
  
She thought Shayla sounded bemused. "It is a long shot that they are where I think they might be," she asserted. "But the Sacred Mountains of Triune are the only charted area that match the vague descriptions in the passages- -full of sandy mountains around a white center mountain--Triune's Peak."  
  
"The Sacred Mountains," Sharie murmured, remembering. "Be careful, then. It is said those cliffs contain uncharted reigons, and past explorers have picked up strange vibes.. It is not known whether they are good or evil, but it is part of the reason the cliffs are sacred--it is as if they and the tunnels glow with some secret meaning."  
  
"All the better to indicate the presence of some power," said Shayla simply. "Jeanette's offered to come with me--she said something about needing to meditate anyway. She's been acting a little strange over the past couple of days."  
  
"Who hasn't been, recently?" Sharie asked. "Good luck, Shayla."  
  
****  
  
Shayla shivered as they reached the mouth of the cave where she was sensing the strongest vibes. "Whew, Jeanette! Sharie wasn't kidding! Something about this place is awfully strange. And yet--and yet it beckons to me. I don't know why."  
  
"This place has an uncanny effect on the soul," Jeanette admitted. "And if you feel a special calling, then by all means, do what you feel the urge to do. Wouldn't it be strange if we actually found this power, and reunited the Crystals of the Three Sisters? It could increase everyone's power supply."  
  
"As if Sharie doesn't have enough?" mused Shayla as they started walking into the dusty tunnel. Silvery showers of strangely-colored sand ocassionally drifted down from the walls, causing them to duck out of the way.  
  
"There is an old legend," said Jeanette, trying not to sneeze. "That the Crystals of the Three Sisters were once joined as one, until seperated by some reason lost to history. It was once a single, huge gold crystal until it splintered into a smaller gold, and violet, and silver. Each seperated crystal was hidden away, and for a long time, nobody knew where they were. Eventually, the Golden Powers were rediscovered, and passed down through the Royal Family for many generations. Two hundred years ago, I was exploring and discovered the Violet Powers quite by accident--deep in an uncharted forest, caught in an energy vortex. That is why Sharie's powers are so excessive--over the eons, the crystal had been absorbing more and more energy from the vortex, which itself contained boundless energy. It also made the powers extremely dangerous.  
  
"I knew that they were dangerous enough that not only anybody could handle them. I put the powers away to be used only if Triforia ever fell into grave danger. Trey had already had the gold powers, and I had planned to use the violet powers myself if the need arose."  
  
Jeanette paused, stiffening. Sudden tears shimmered at the backs of her eyes. "Then that damned Dark Dresden had to attack, and steal away my baby girl. She returned weeks later so traumatized that I hardly recognized her. And he was after her because of things she knew that would have endangered even him. He would have killed her. I had to send her away, I had no choice. I gave her the powers before she left, so she could be protected. Eventually, I had planned to try and find her, but if it was not possible--she would stand a chance, and perhaps one day be able to use the powers to avenge us somehow."  
  
Jeanette shuddered from the physical impact of the memories, and two lone tears stole down her face, giving Shayla a sudden inkling of the horrors Jeanette had witnessed.  
  
"Don't speak anymore if you cannot," she urged, hugging her sister tightly. For once, Jeanette sank against her, grateful for the contact.  
  
"I'm surprised I even spoke like that at all," Jeanette mused, wiping her face and straightening her spine. "I don't often visit those memories-- it's painful. I don't deny it or try to hide it like Trey and Sharie have the worst habits of doing--I just don't go there in the first place." She shrugged. "Well, let's get going."  
  
They continued pressing onwards, the light from the entrance growing ever dimmer before Shayla gasped and pressed her hands against her tunic pockets. "Ohmigosh, how could I be so dumb? I forgot to bring a light."  
  
"Then I am right in assuming you never studied magic in any form," Jeanette answerd, amused. "I can help with that one. I am not a sorceress, but--" she held out a hand and uttered some strange incantation. A glowing light formed above her palm and obediently floated upwards, lighting the tunnel for several feet in either direction.  
  
"Will you teach me that?" Shayla almost demanded, astonished. "I have *got* to learn that. What a ditz I was to come so unprepared."  
  
Jeanette had real reason to smile now. "You are not a ditz. Nobody's perfect."  
  
Shayla sighed. "That's my one flaw--I am a bit apt to sometimes....well, think before I speak, you know? If I am to ever realize my dream of helping others--I can't do everything from the hip."  
  
"You are *not* a ditz," Jeanette repeated, laughing. "You are no different than anybody else. Triforians are reputed to have memories of steel traps, we remember everything, but that does not mean things slip from the forefront of our thoughts when we least expect them. Some things, while we know them, we don't think about all the time. I don't see you as being any different."  
  
Shayla laughed, too, as they continued walking down the dim tunnel. "Okay, I believe you. Still....remind me to think before I act a little more. Impulsiveness *still* isn't the best trait."  
  
Jeanette still smiled even as she sensed strange vibes start to nag at the edges of her mental barriers. She paused, placing the palms of her hands on the dusty walls.  
  
"What is it?" asked Shayla, she too pausing. Suddenly, a distinct buzz echoed on the edges of her awareness. "...Oh..." was all she said.  
  
Jeanette's face was serious now. "Come on," she whispered, tugging gently at Shayla's arm. "That does not feel natural, even for these mountains. Watch your step, and *please*, be careful."  
  
Eyes wide, Shayla nodded silently as the two women crept on. The further they descended into the winding tunnel, the sharper the tingles she felt running up her spine, as if not everything was quite as it should be.  
  
"This is getting stranger all the time," she whispered in the dimness, only penetrated by the glowing ball floating obediently above their heads. The stalactites doubled in number, and boulders and small pits in the tunnel floor threatened to turn an ankle or break a leg, so they were forced to slow their creeping to a crawl.  
  
"Sh," whispered Jeanette as the sudden buzzing seemed to all at once snap past her carefully barriered mind. She gasped at the intensity, then held her hands over her ears in a primeval attempt to drown out the mental noise....a foolish gesture, she dimly supposed, since her ears still registered no sound. Too, the sensation set her nerve endings on fire, and her whole body tingled and crackled, not exactly with pain, but an undeniable discomfort.  
  
Beside her, she faintly noticed Shayla imitating her actions. Both women had to struggle to bring their mental barriers up tight enough to reduce the buzzing to tolerable limits.  
  
At last, Jeanette breathed out, not aware that she had been holding her breath at all.  
  
"Well," she breathed, "that was something. Are you all right?"  
  
Beside her, Shayla let out her own burst of pent-up air, lowering her hands from her ears and nodding. "Whew! Yes, I'm okay. I think....whatever is doing that, we're almost there."  
  
Jeanette looked thoughtful as they pressed on. The buzzing suddenly triggered a strange sensation of deja vu, as if she had felt it before, a long time ago....  
  
"I think..." she whispered suddenly, "Shayla, you might have picked the right area after all. I am sure I have felt that before....when I discovered the location of the Zeo Violet powers. You may be right on the top with this one. I don't know how you did it, but you did."  
  
"Gut instinct," said Shayla, then smiled inadvertently. "No, really. It seemed as if I was drawn to this particular tunnel in general. Let's keep going. Maybe there is something to be had about all this."  
  
****  
  
As soon as the voices of the other rangers faded out of earshot, Sharie fell silent. She had so much on her mind she was feeling a little overwhelmed, and at first, she failed to notice Trey, while he walked beside her, was just as moodily silent and seemed to be keeping a careful distance from her.  
  
It was only a faint *snap* on the edge of her senses that alerted her. She did not know why, it just seemed some inner sense told her to look at her brother...quickly.  
  
She did glance at him then, and was immediately glad for her instincts. His eyes were so glazed over and almost empty of any emotion he was not paying absolutely any attention to where he was walking, and he was just inches from a tree trunk on the edge of the sidewalk.  
  
"Trey!" she hissed, grasping his wrist and jerking him firmly out of the way of the trunk a mere second before he would have seen stars. "Watch where you're going! You almost collided with that tree trunk!"  
  
He blinked, as if her words had echoed in his mind from a great distance away. But seconds later, as her words finally registered, the glassiness left his eyes and a rush of color rose on his cheeks.  
  
"What am I doing?" he muttered, slapping his forehead. "I am not sure which is more embarassing--smacking into a tree or have you witnessing it. Thank you, Sharie."  
  
That last word was enough to send off a silent alarm through her whole mind. Instantly, she remembered the new guilt that had entered his eyes for some reason, and his distancing from her since then. Now, since then also, he had not used the word Lalinka. Not once. The word he used three times as much as her real name.  
  
*Oh, no, not again. What did I *do*?* The thought registered in her mind, almost a shriek.  
  
And, even now, his eyes were carefully veiled blanks. No emotion registered in them whatsoever, even as he looked at her...or through her.  
  
"Trey..." she whispered, suddenly wanting to slap some sense into him and daring not to move because of it. "What did I do now to shut you off from me again? Why are you so cold?"  
  
He drew in a breath quickly, suddenly seeing all blood fleeing her face and having little idea of what she was talking about. "What do you mean?"  
  
"What did I do?" she pleaded, so low he could barely hear her, though her distress was, for once, obvious in her eyes. "You treat me as if I have some sort of virulent disease. You won't come near me. You look though me as if I'm not there. You haven't called me by anything but my real name in hours. Tell me what I did wrong! Damnit, Trey--I don't want us to go through this again!"  
  
"What--" it suddenly dawned on him. *Oh, no! I've done it again!* echoed in his mind with a growing sense of horror. He had been so buried in his own thoughts--and guilt--he really had been failing to notice what had been going on around him. And his attempts to hide his distress from Sharie had just the opposite effect--it must have seemed like he had been shunning her. *What must she think of me?*  
  
"Gods, Lalinka, I am so sorry!" he whispered as he pulled her into his arms. She didn't even resist, sagging against him in relief. "I didn't mean to, honest! It's just--" he paused.  
  
"What?" her voice was quivering. "What is eating at you? Trey, we made a promise to each other not to do this again--please tell me."  
  
"Why..." he paused, trying to phrase this right so he would not screw up again and she take it wrong. "Why did you put all blame on your shoulders alone for not telling Andros about Karone? Why did you tell him I had no fault, when I had a great plenty?" He pulled back to look into her eyes, and she saw the fiery pain in his dark depths. "Don't you know how close I came to telling him, that day you told me, Lalinka?" he made sure his voice pressed each word into her head. "How angry I was during our arguement, at what sounded like incomprehensible injustice? And now to learn--to learn that you had been right all along?!"  
  
His voice was rising, and he had difficulty controlling it. "It was the hardest thing, Sharie, to not go and tell him. I came this close, and now, to discover how wrongly things would have gone if I had--you can't say that I am lacking in blame. I have the lions share, and I can't deny it."  
  
Her own eyes widened in acute horror at his words. "But it isn't your fault!" she cried, shocked to her toes. "How can you feel guilt for having your own opinion? And why live in the past? What's done is done, and it turned out better than either of us could have already fathomed. Any blame rests on my shoulders alone because I started this whole mess, and it was simply the wrong subject to disagree about. Stop killing yourself over it-- heaven knows we've had enough of this pressing on us!"  
  
"What?" he muttered darkly, though not in her direction. "Having this cursed malady, depression come over us every year for some reason we can't even recall? Or is it we don't want to recall it? Is there even a real reason, or are we just crazy? Look at us, Lalinka! This--this isn't us! No matter what we do to dispel it--it lingers, like two strangers taking over our bodies and minds. Sometimes it's like the real me is standing to one side and this terrible stranger is controlling what I say and do. Do you want this to go on every year for the rest of our lives?"  
  
"I agree that this isn't who we should be, or who we normally are," she conceded. "But unless we find the real reason behind it--we're stuck. What's worse, I feel as if it is going to slap us in the face again--soon. We won't get rid of it until we confront it. And," she said with new determination, "what I will promise is to be there for you when we fight it. Somehow, I know something is going to happen--and I will be there for you, Trey, in spirit if not in being. This I swear on Triune's Honor."  
  
For the first time in ages, it seemed, he smiled a real, if faint, smile, as he reached out to grasp her hands and squeeze them fiercely.  
  
"You make it sound so easy," he mused tightly. "And yet, it won't be, will it? I can see it in your eyes and I am sure it must show in mine. I am sure it will be a struggle, and yet, if you can promise--then I can, too."  
  
Her return smile was a glad sight to his worn-out soul. "Tishnahala?" she asked, the old Triforian word meaning, loosely but appropriately, "Forever united?"  
  
He smiled, his eyes lighting up for the first time in weeks. "Tishnahala."  
  
****  
  
"This buzzing is getting to the point where I can hardly bear it." It took everything within Shayla to keep from covering her ears, for despite the noise buzzing in her brain, she knew full well there was no sound whatsoever. It didn't stop her from wanting to let her reflexes have their way.  
  
"I agree completely," muttered Jeanette, who was having to strain ever harder to keep her thoughts intact. "I feel as if the buzzing is going to rattle my brain from the confines of my skull. I sense, though, that we are close to the source."  
  
"Thank heavens for small mercies," said Shayla, tightlipped, as they turned a corner--then both stopped abruptly. They had reached a dead end. "Drat! The source is so close--and we can't go farther!"  
  
"I wouldn't be so sure," said Jeanette, looking the wall over. "The buzzing is emanating from just beyond this wall."  
  
"And what are we supposed to do--just walk through?"  
  
"Don't get coy with me, *little* sister," Jeanette teased good-naturedly. "Actually, though--yes."  
  
Shayla gasped in surprise as Jeanette reached out to touch the wall--and her arm went right through it!  
  
Jeanette laughed at Shayla's shocked look. "Just a trick wall. Something's definetly on the other side--come on."  
  
She took her sister's arm in her own and pulled her through the wall before Shayla could utter one protest. *And I thought I was impulsive!*  
  
"What the--" Shayla sputtered, trying to regain her startled senses. "Where are we?"  
  
The cavern they found themselves in was large, and Shayla's words echoed off the walls as she spoke.  
  
"Sh!" hissed Jeanette as they crept cautiously forward. "Some form of magic or intelligence--or both--is watching us, I can sense it."  
  
Shayla nodded--then gasped as she suddenly found herself unable to take another step. Her sister's gasp told her clearly that Jeanette was in the same predicament.  
  
"What's happening?" she whispered, having the distinct feeling of being scanned.  
  
"Be still!" hissed Jeanette. "We are being judged--don't ask why, just let it happen!"  
  
Shayla shut her mouth, but she sensed that Jeanette had clearly been through this type of thing before, so she obeyed without question.  
  
A bright light came out of nowhere and suddenly raked Jeanette's body. Regally, Jeanette held herself and simply allowed it.  
  
When the beam of light finished scanning Jeanette, Shayla felt it suddenly turn it's attention to her. She held herself proudly, without protest, sensing that this was crucial. The light blinded her, but she did not allow herself to flinch as she was scanned for any evil entities inhabiting her body. So this was a realm strictly for the pure of heart--she could handle that.  
  
The beam paused, and seemed to scan her twice as long as it had Jeanette, for reasons Shayla could not fathom. She thought she'd go blind, but suddenly, the light blinked off, and the magical force released their hold on the two women.  
  
"The chosen one has arrived," said a strangely femenine voice out of nowhere.  
  
"Chosen one?" echoed Shayla, dumbfounded. "What do you mean--who are you?"  
  
"I am the good spirit that guards this cave. You are the first to breach it in many melennia, and I knew you would come seeking this." A wall seemed to magically give way, and in the center, in a hollow, magically floated a strange crystal of the familiar three-line design of the Triforian Zeo Rangers.  
  
"The Zeo Silver Crystal?" squeaked Shayla. "You knew we would come seeking it?"  
  
"I know many things. You are the chosen one, Shayla, for your intense desire to help others and make something of yourself assures that you will use the powers well. Step forward, Shayla Triesta, and claim your destiny."  
  
"Well, that was said without preamble," Shayla grinned as she stepped forward obediently. Behind her, she was sure she heard Jeanette unsuccessfully attempt to bury a snicker.  
  
"None was needed for this purpose," said the spirit good-naturedly, and Shayla could have sworn she could hear amusement in the bodiless voice. "Extend your hand, Shayla of the worlds Triforia and Aquitar."  
  
Shayla obeyed.  
  
"Gift of power, take flight," said the voice, as out of nowhere, a power staff, identical to the ones that Sharie and Trey used except silver where either the violet or black would have been, appeared out of nowhere and hovered just above her palm.  
  
"Shayla Triesta, do you swear to uphold the honor and fortitude the Zeo Silver Powers will grant you?" asked the voice. "Do you swear to only use them for good, and not to use them for evil personal gain?"  
  
"This I swear upon the honor of the Zeo Crystal and what it stands for." Shayla didn't know where the words came from, they just popped out of her mouth.  
  
"Then, Shayla, the Silver Power Staff is now yours. Use it well." The staff floated down, and Shayla instinctively grasped it, her fingers closing over the smooth metal as if it were made for her hand.  
  
Jeanette gasped and closed her eyes at the blinding silver flash that followed, and when her vision cleared, a figure of a young woman stood before her, the image of the other two Zeo Rangers of Triforia, except with silver for the bodysuit. The faceplate on the helmet, the staff, and the general bodysuit design was the same as the powers her own children carried, the color being the only real difference.  
  
"At last, the Crystals of the Three Sisters are active again," said the voice. "I wish you good luck in your ventures, Shayla. I know you will use the powers well. And, of course, may the power protect you!"  
  
The voice echoed as it faded away, and Shayla removed her helmet as she looked at Jeanette in triumph, her purple eyes sparkling. "We did it!" she exclaimed.  
  
"No, *you* did it," corrected Jeanette as she hugged her sister. "I merely guided you here. The powers were meant for you, and you will at last realize your life's dream."  
  
****  
  
*Sharie....*  
  
In her sleep, Sharie moaned softly and twisted in her bed. It did not seem like a nightmare--for once--but she could not dispel the voice.  
  
*Sharie....please contact me....*  
  
With a loud gasp, Sharie jerked awake. Her brain was on fire, buzzing with an insistent demand to establish telepathic contact.  
  
*But for who?* was her first thought, then she remembered. It felt like it did when Zordon had contacted her the last time--except this was much louder. The nagging insistence at the back of her brain like the last time, except this time, it had exploded into her consciousness. It had to be desperate, if he was this loud and demanding--and risking someone, wherever he was being held prisoner, finding out what he was doing. Telepathic contact by breaching interdimensional barriers was harder to detect that the direct route, but it was possible.  
  
On small, silent feet, she slipped out of bed. She barely thought to grab for a shawl as she crept out her door and hurried down the short stretch of hallway to Trey's room.  
  
"Trey!" she cried softly, pounding lightly on his door. "Wake up-- quickly!"  
  
"Huh-wah?" she heard him mutter in sleepy surprise as he jerked almost too quickly to awareness. He must have been sleeping light--rare for him, he could usually sleep through a thunderstorm.  
  
"Trey!" she hissed again. "Wake up!"  
  
"I am awake," he mumbled through a yawn. "Whazup? Come in, Lalinka."  
  
She opened his bedroom door and sounlessly slipped inside. He was yawning again, but immediately cut his yawn short when he saw how pale she had become, and the urgency in her eyes.  
  
"What's up?" he asked, rising quickly then to meet her halfway. He took her hands in his and led her over to the bed and pushed her down onto it. "You look as if you've seen a ghost. What happened?"  
  
Sharie did not beat around the bush. "It's Zordon. He's trying to contact me."  
  
"What?" Trey repeated. "Zordon? How?"  
  
"Remember last time, after I came back from that other dimension?" she breathed. "This is like then, only much stronger, much more insistent. It has to be urgent."  
  
"Then by all means try to contact him!" urged Trey.  
  
She nodded vigorously. "I will, but I had to have somebody by my side first, to make sure I make it back safely--expanding my mind to other dimesnions isn't the safest activity in the universe." She smiled wanely as he hugged her reassuringly, acting more like his old self than she had seen in quite a while.  
  
"I'll be here with you, Lalinka," he assured her, pushing her shoulders so she would lie down. "Now contact him. I'll be here to make sure nothing happens."  
  
Sharie nodded obediently, reassured. She closed her eyes, and at last allowed herself to focus on the insistent presence buzzing at the edges of her telepathic conscience.  
  
****  
  
Sharie felt herself drifting, expanding her telepathic abilities far beyond what she would normally ever consider pushing them. And yet, she focused them to an intensity that drowned out anybody else's mind she might have sensed, concentrating entirely on that one thread in her mind that linked to the other dimension.  
  
She concentrated on that thread, pushing herself into it and forcing her consciousness out of the confines of her body. She lost all awareness of her bodily senses, the need to feel it redundant, since she was no longer in her body in the first place.  
  
Vaguely, she felt a tearing as she sensed her mind pushing through the barriers of space and time, following the thread to it's interdimensional source. *Are you there? Zordon? I am here.*  
  
She sensed him clearly then, his deep mental "voice" booming around her consciousness. *Yes, child, I am here. And I am glad you found me. There is news I must pass on to you. How much it will help, I do not know. But you must be told, somebody close to Earth's Rangers has to be told. You are the only one I can reach this way.*  
  
*I am here, and I will listen,* she assured him. *What is the matter? Where are you?*  
  
*As usual, I do not know where they are keeping me, but that is beside the point. Dark Spectre is planning a large-scale attack for the known universe. I know because there are whispers going on around me when they do not think I am listening. Plans for it are not final, but it could happen. If it does, you need warning. Time to prepare. And another thing- -Dark Spectre has an intense hatred for you, and yet he's been studying you too closely. I fear he wants your powers, so I am warning you of this also in advance to beware of him. I don't want him to pick you out in battle. I have never seen you but you certainly are talked about a lot.*  
  
*That bad, hm?*  
  
*It is that bad, child. I know I said a lot in a rush, but I must go before I am caught. It could mean my death if they catch me doing this. Good-bye and good luck. Tell the rangers....tell them I miss them, and I hope to find my way back to them someday.*  
  
He tried to hide it, but he obviously had little idea of her true skills, for Sharie clearly sensed a sad lonliness underneath the booming stoticism of his voice. She felt choked as his essence suddenly disappeared from her mind. She heaved a mental sigh as she turned around and forced her mind back the way it came. How awful it must be, with so little contact with the ones you loved....  
  
****  
  
All this time, Trey had scarcely moved a muscle, watching Sharie closely and in abject fear. He had just barely picked up her mind pushing itself away from her body, going places he could only dream of. And as soon as it had pushed out of her, her whole body had stiffened and gone cold, her fingers in his feeling like ice cubes. It had frightened him at first, for she felt as lifeless as a corpse.  
  
Then he had looked closer, an noted that, while shallow, she was still breathing, and her heart was beating very slowly, but enough to sustain her life. No wonder, her mind had only enough of a hold on her body to keep it barely alive--did her soul leave her body too, when she traveled like this? It did not seem impossible....  
  
At last, she gave a shuddery sigh, drawing in a great lungful of air. He felt a faint *whoosh* in his own mind as her mind seemed to come back from...wherever she had traveled. Her cold fingertips in his twitched, and her eyelids fluttered as her mind gained awareness of her body again.  
  
Then it started to shake as, obviously, she became aware of how cold she was. With his free hand, Trey reached down to the bottom of his bed for the spare blanket, pulling it free and draping it around her as she sat up stiffly.  
  
She began shaking violently as he tucked the blanket snugly around her small body, and hugged her in an attempt to transfer body heat. "Are you okay, Lalinka?"  
  
"I....y-yes," she whispered through chattering teeth. "I am....j-just a little...cold..."  
  
"Did you find him? Talk to him?"  
  
She nodded her curly head, pressing against his larger frame for warmth. He hugged her without reservation, taking her icy fingers of both hands between his and rubbing them briskly to restore full circulation and warm them further. "What did he want?"  
  
"To--to warn us," Sharie chattered, her teeth still clacking as she stumbled everything Zordon had said....well, almost. She left out the part of Dark Spectre's uncanny interest in her, at leat from Zordon's POV. That she was not sure what to think about.  
  
"That bad, hm?" asked Trey, reaching for his other blanket and wrapping it around both of them to warm her up more...and him as well. Her cold body was making him cold, too. "When the other rangers get back from KO-35 from when they left this afternoon, we will have to tell them. We could use any warning we can get."  
  
A yawn split his words, and he scooted backwards to lean against his pillows, taking her with him. She was still shaking hard, and he was not about to let her freeze, even to go turn up the thermostat. She curled up in a tight ball against him, and he sighed, closing his eyes and laying his head on top of her golden curls, the one really warm spot she had right now. Exhaustion overcame both, and before they could blink, they were both asleep.  
  
****  
  
"What's keeping them?" Sharie wondered aloud as she stared out the window. "They've been gone for two days without hardly a word. Carlos only told me once that Andros had gone chasing after Astronema on KO-35 and they were following him. Not a peep since. Oh, this is what I feared! That they would get into trouble once they learned the truth!"  
  
Trey stared at her, his dark eyes unreadable. "I, too, hope they're okay," he sighed. "But what else can we do? The trail's cold. I feared this would happen, too--but it seems we can't do more than sit here."  
  
Sharie opened her mouth, than shut it, forcing down the self-loathing that threatened to overflow her brain. If Andros hadn't known himself of Karone's alter ego by now, she would have surely blamed herself all over again. As it stood, she wasn't far from it.  
  
"Well," she said at last, "I don't think they're hurt. Carlos's link to me is strong and steady, so he's definetly alive. And he can't be too far out or the link would be extremely faint, like when we went to Auqitana II. But I hope we hear from them soon. I have got to pass on the information I got out of Zordon. It is for all our safety that they know."  
  
"I hope we hear from them soon," agreed Trey. "This is too important to leave unmentioned."  
  
"Also the news that we have another ranger on our side?" Sharie smiled faintly. "Can you believe it? I can't. Shayla actually found the Silver Ranger Powers?"  
  
He too, smiled wanely. "I couldn't believe her luck either, at first. But she sent me the diagram of her main zord. I can't believe that all three of the Zeo Sister Crystals have near identical pyramid zords: I have Pyramidas, you have Pyramida, and she has the Pyramidan. It's eerie."  
  
"One of the classic trademarks of the Triforian Zeo Crystals," Sharie mused. "I hope they don't start calling us the Zeo Trio now. Everyone already calls me and you the Zeo Duo."  
  
An actual chuckle escaped his lips. "Wouldn't it be fitting?" he asked. "The powers were meant to work together best, after all. We'll see what happens. Now, if the Lightstar Rangers would just show themselves...."  
  
****  
  
"You sense it too, don't you?" said Delphine quietly, studying Cestria's pale face and distant eyes. "Something is about to happen?"  
  
She nodded. "I am certain of it. I don't know how, when, or why, but it's going to be soon. It's eerie. I hope that for once I am wrong." A tiny kick in her abdomen made her hands fall over it reflexively. "For all our sakes, I hope the series of dangers looming overhead never arrives."  
  
"And I could not agree more," her friend voiced the thought aloud. *Because I also sense that it is going to happen...*  
  
****  
  
*At last!* Sharie thought in relief as her communicator beeped. She pounced on it so fast Trey blinked in surprise. "Yes?"  
  
"Hola, Querida!" said Carlos's voice cheerfully. "Miss me?"  
  
"Are you kidding?" she cried. "Where have you all been, without a peep out of you?"  
  
"Been worried, eh, Querida?" he teased, but stopped upon hearing her impatient sound. "Sorry, Sharie. A lot's happened, more and faster than anybody fathomed. It would be easier to explain if you and Trey simply came aboard."  
  
Sharie looked up long enough to catch Trey's affirmative gesture. "We'll be there."  
  
****  
  
Sharie could detect very little change as the violet sparkles finally cleared from her vision. Carlos was standing there, a cocky grin on his face, and everyone else was....acting perfectly normal. Only Cassie was absent from the bridge.  
  
"What happened?" Sharie hissed. "You vanish for two days without a word. All I hear out of you is you're chasing after Andros, who went chasing after...."  
  
"Whoa, slow down, Querida," said Carlos, holding up his hands. "Everything's all right; we're all in one piece here. A lot's happened, but it's fine now. Quite a few differences, too."  
  
"What differences?" asked Sharie, puzzled, noticing Andros rising from his chair and coming up, his face completely different from the miserable boy she had seen last. His eyes were lighter, and his features relaxed.  
  
"Well, perhaps me for one thing?" said a shockingly familiar voice. Sharie felt her heart fall to her toes to see herself turn, and stand face-to-face with Astronema--or, perhaps, Karone?  
  
Karone?  
  
****  
  
It was all Sharie, or Trey, for that matter, could do to keep from dropping their jaws in pure shock. This was Astronema--well, without the wig, anyways. She had the same short blonde hair that Sharie remembered from the girl in Darkonda's hideaway, and hazel eyes that were somehow lacking the coldness of the Astronema she had formerly known, now looking more like Andros's than ever.  
  
Sharie's hand did fly to her mouth, her brain trying to formulate words and her lips trying to communicate with her brain to express them. "K- Karone...?"  
  
The girl did not smile, but she did duck her head, color rising on her cheeks.  
  
"I don't believe this..." Sharie whispered in pure astonishement, at last finding her tongue. "Andros....Andros, you did it? You actually did it?"  
  
Andros had come up beside Sharie, and he favored her with a big grin. "I can't believe this myself," he said, his hazel eyes glowing. "But...well, here she is. Of her own accord, too. I never dreamed it could happen...but it did. She's here."  
  
A faint smile hit Trey's face, and Sharie's eyes really lit up. "Oh, Andros!" she exclaimed softly. "I am SO happy for you! I can't believe--I can't tell you how glad I am that you finally got your sister back!"  
  
A faint shadow did cross his face for a moment. "It wasn't easy," he admitted. "We all had to go through hell to get out of our last adventure alive. It's a long story."  
  
"My ears are open," said Sharie, she and Trey settling back and patiently listening to the whole story, an "all-ears" look on their faces.  
  
****  
  
"....And that's how it happened," said Ashley at last, finishing up the story some time later. "Ast--er, Karone here, turned tail on Dark Spectre and betrayed him, leaving him for good."  
  
"At least...." Karone spoke up hesistantly for the first time. "At least I hope.....he is furious, I know it. I fear he may try to retaliate somehow. I don't...." she ducked her head again. "Please believe me, Sharie and Trey. I don't want anybody hurt. Not anymore. I can't...I can't, knowing the truth. It..." she sighed. "I had the opprotunity to really search myself for the first time. Astronema....is not me. I guess she never was, even when I tried to convince myself otherwise after learning the truth. For the first time, I can truly admit it to myself....I feel like me."  
  
Sharie smiled. "I am glad you found yourself at last," she said gently. "I have wanted you to find yourself since that day I had to rescue you from those planet natives."  
  
Karone jerked her head up, not sure if the words she were hearing meant what she thought they said. "What?" she said. "You...were hoping I would find myself? Since...that day? These guys know what happened that day? And.....and you knew, then, that I was Karone, is that what you are saying?"  
  
"They know, to an extent, what happened," Sharie amended hastily. She leaned over and whispered in Karone's ear. "They *don't* know about you or Zhane. That I promise. Only Trey knows the complete truth, because I felt someone else close to me should know, just in case. I told you I would keep my word of silence about that, right?" She pulled back, and lowered her head, still embarassed over it all. "And yes, it was then that I deduced that you were the real Karone."  
  
"What? How?" asked Karone, clearly astonished. "They never told me that-- "  
  
"I don't know why they didn't. And if they haven't said that yet, I have something to confess." *Here we go again.*  
  
"What?" asked Karone, her hazel eyes widening.  
  
"It was the locket that told me the truth," said Sharie shortly. "That, and your descriptions of your blackout periods and missing ring. Andros, you had better give that back to her if you haven't."  
  
Karone's jaw went momentarily slack in surprise as Andros obediently fumbled for the chain on his locket, undoing it and pulling something off it. He grinned faintly as he pushed into her hand the ring that Karone had never thought to see again.  
  
"What--Where did you get this?!" she exclaimed in pure astonishement. "How- -"  
  
"It will be hard to believe," said Sharie softly. "But Karone, I am under the impression that Darkonda never quite lost his hold on you when he gave you to Ecliptor to raise..."  
  
As she explained in detail the day where she and Ashley had been with her in Darkonda's hideaway, Karone's eyes grew even bigger in uncomprehending shock.  
  
"But..." she said when Sharie finished. "I don't remember doing that. I don't...remember those times at all, if they happened. How could they? And yet....this ring....you would not lie to me, would you?"  
  
"Oh, absolutely not!" exclaimed Sharie in surprise. "What I say now here is true. He's been controlling you more than you realized."  
  
"Damn him!" she hissed. "Damn that Darkonda! If I ever get my hands on him...."  
  
To everyone's surprise, Sharie echoed this. "I'd like to, also," she said bluntly. "I don't suppose you remember, say, twelve years ago, Karone, being hauled by Darkonda to this guy named Dark Dresden--the very one you did away with--and being pushed beside a little girl as he and Dark Dresden argued, did you?"  
  
"What?" asked Karone, then her brow furrowed, and something flashed behind her eyes. "Dark Dresden....oh, gods, YES! He...he took me....and....and...now I remember why I hated Dark Dresden, didn't trust him, when he came to me. I had met him before! I would have eventually been turned into his...his sex slave when I was old enough, if Darkonda had sold me then!"  
  
She stopped after this outburst, but her eyes clouded further. "That little girl....the one who tried to comfort me...." She blanched, and suddenly looked at Sharie as if she were a ghost. "YOU!!! That girl was you! I know it! Those eyes--I remember those eyes, like yours!"  
  
Sharie nodded. "I'm afraid that was me. When Dark Dresden was holding Triforia under siege, I had been kidnapped then to be his pawn, slave, and eventual whore when I was old enough. Darkonda tried to trade me for you."  
  
"But...why?" sputtered Karone. "I find it hard to think that our roles came *this close* to being reversed."  
  
"They couldn't reach an agreement," said Sharie shortly. "I don't think Dark Dresden ever really considered selling me--something about my brainpower, among others. I don't remember--there are still huge gaps in that time frame that I don't remember. Probably because I don't * want* to remember."  
  
Karone shook her head wryly. "Gods, what next. You said that you....knew I was Karone. Is that the real reason Andros found out?"  
  
Andros made a sudden sound, and Sharie blushed and ducked her head again, shaking it in the negative. "No. I didn't tell him, for a very important reason."  
  
Karone crossed her arms and leaned against the bridge wall. "What could possibly have prompted you to stay silent? If I were you, I would have went running to Andros."  
  
"I wanted to, believe me," Sharie muttered in a low tone. "More than anything. But....Karone, just how upset were you when you made the discovery for yourself that Andros, your mortal enemy, was your brother? Were you at least a little angry?"  
  
"A *little* angry?" Karone sputtered. "Are you kidding? I was furious, for more reasons than one. Ecliptor and Darkonda had lied to me. The Red Ranger I thought I hated shared my own blood. How could I have been connected in such a way to my own enemy?" Sudden color rose to her face, and she looked down, ashamed. "I'm sorry, Andros. At that point, I wanted to kill, I was that upset. And then....and then I started to think, and recall things from my youth I had never before remembered. After I went to KO-35....I knew then, I finally understood....I had been living a lie all along. I couldn't stand the thought of it anymore."  
  
"Your being upset was a reason I said nothing," Sharie confessed. "Had I run and told Andros, I feared that, if he didn't eternally damn me for telling him such wild lies because I had no proof, he would go running to you and try to confront you with a pack of wild-sounding tales, getting him and perhaps the other rangers in grave danger. I wasn't willing to risk it, so I had him find out on his own."  
  
"When did you tell him what you knew?" asked Karone.  
  
"Right after they finished with a monster, and Andros had discovered your locket," Sharie answered. "When I confessed, I was amazed that he wasn't angry with me. A little upset at first, maybe, but he didn't condemn me."  
  
"How could I, when you were mostly right?" asked Andros, his face redder than a tomato. "I have been so obsessed with finding Karone I would have done anything, if I had believe her."  
  
"It still doesn't make what I did necessarily right," said Sharie, crossing her arms. "I'll still wrestle with myself over it for awhile, I'll promise you that. After all, after you had helped me and Trey so much, I kept such crucial information from you."  
  
Andros and Karone both opened their mouths to reply, but Ashley quickly held up her hand. "What's done is done, right?" she said. "Seems to me that since this all turned out for the best, let's leave it to rest. Why don't we go relax for awhile? I think we've earned a rest."  
  
There were nods of agreement from the lightstar rangers, all except Karone. "Me, go out in public?" she shivered. "I'd be recognized, surely. And beyond this jumpsuit, I only have Astronema apparel to wear."  
  
"Then what say we take care of that?" Sharie suggested. "Trey and I do have something further to relay, then I will see about getting you some clothes, if you wish. I would like to speak to you alone, anyways."  
  
Karone could not quite believe her ears. "You would...do that?" she asked. "Why? I've treated you all so badly in the past...."  
  
"Karone, you have a lot to learn about forgiveness and friendship," said Sharie with a real smile this time. "Ashley said they told you you had five friends now. Well, make that six, and if Trey agrees--seven."  
  
This, of course, prodded the silent Triforian to speak up in the affirmative.  
  
Karone ducked her head. "You guys are too good to me," she blushed, ashamed. "I don't deserve this."  
  
"Yes, you do," said Sharie firmly. "Not everybody gets a second chance, Karone. You do deserve it, and I am sure everyone in this room would agree."  
  
Six other voices confirmed it, and at last Karone smiled.  
  
"Now," said Cassie, settling down in her chair, "What else did you have to say to us, Sharie and Trey? When you came in and I came onto the bridge with Karone, you looked like you had something urgent up your sleeves."  
  
Brother and sister exchanged glances. "Well," said Trey, at last speaking up for himself. "Sharie awoke me in the middle of the night and told me Zordon was attempting to contact her again."  
  
"Again?" echoed Karone. "I did not know he was even in contact with you."  
  
"Sharie's the only one out of all of us with telepathic powers strong enough to do so," said Trey. "When she was in the other dimension where she had vanished to, it was Zordon who brought her back, and spoke with her telepathically afterwards."  
  
"As far as I know, they never detected this," said Karone, a worried frown on her face. "His direct telepathic communication was carefully monitored, so he couldn't reach anybody."  
  
"Ah, but did you all forget to take into account his being a transidmensional being?" asked Sharie practically. "His mind can breach the fabric of time and space?"  
  
"He can....do that?" gasped Karone. "No, nobody thought of that, certainly. Is that how he contacted you?"  
  
Sharie nodded. "I can do it also, although it's a little more difficult for me in general to push into the fabric of space and time, since I don't normally have access to other dimensions."  
  
"I thought you were stronger than Zordon telepathically," said Carlos.  
  
"I suppose so, in general, that doesn't mean he cannot do certain mind tricks it would be harder, if not impossible for me to duplicate, since my mind is not drifting between dimensions, like his," Sharie put in. "Anyways, to get back to the subject at hand--he contacted me. I went to Trey to make sure I would not go too far when I pushed away--there are on record a few who went drifting the way I did and were seperated so far from their physical bodies they almost, or even didn't, come back."  
  
Carlos drew in a sharp breath, and Trey momentarily closed his eyes, remembering how cold Sharie had become when he had touched her flesh--she had felt almost like a corpse.  
  
"He told me Earth is in danger," said Sharie quietly. "There are plans for Dark Spectre to attack earth, large-scale. Is this true, Karone? Do you know anything?"  
  
She shrugged. "That's typical Dark Spectre talk. He's been trying to plot the takeover of Earth since he first met up with you rangers. Hardly anything new. But I wonder how Zordon knew of it? They try keeping him in the dark whenever possible. I don't even know where he is now--I thought he was on Utopia when we went there yesterday--but I had been tricked."  
  
"Zordon would never tell me anything that he even suspected was a false rumor," Sharie mused. "That I am certain of. It must have some merit, even if you never heard of it directly of a real impending attack, Karone."  
  
"My loyalty was under suspicion, I think is the reason," said Karone. "And in the end, unfortuanely, Dark Spectre was right. He does not divulge information like that to suspected traitors. And here I am, Astronema- turned-Karone, traitor extrodinaire."  
  
"I agree that we should be on the alert," said Andros. "Karone, you are adept with weapons, if not phyiscal fighting skills--will you help us? Nobody will force you to, if that is a concern."  
  
She hesistated, then nodded. "When I chose to change, I meant to in all ways," she vowed. "I will help if the need arises. What I fear is Dark Spectre's retaliation. He might not let my being a turncoat slide so easily, you know."  
  
****  
  
"What sort of outifts did you have in mind?" asked Karone as Sharie led her to her house. "I can't go around in this jumpsuit or my Astronema garb-- both are far too, oh say, noticeable?"  
  
Sharie smiled. She hoped, so far, that Karone had not noticed her unusally depressed demeanor she was trying hard to hide. "You aren't exactly my size. You are taller than me, of course, and with a slightly bigger frame-- oh, I hate being short!" she emphasized. "But I might be able to find something. Come on."  
  
"Cassie and Ashley seem to dress with more flair than you do," observed Karone, studying Sharie's practicality-minded wardrobe. "Yet you seem to have an eye for making clothes look good, if simple, on you."  
  
"I am not vain," Sharie answered, a bit stiffly. "I don't care much for my looks beyond looking neat. Meaning I don't like the grunge look, either."  
  
Karone giggled.  
  
"I am just plain me in my fashions, so when I find something, that's what you will be wearing until you get some clothes that speak your style," Sharie continued, pawing through her closet to find something in Karone's size. "Most of my clothes are altered to fit my frame, but--here, try this." She pulled out a pink-lavendar shirt, the kind that, when worn, was *meant* to be ovesized. It was one solid color, but had a natural look and Sharie had no doubt would wear on Karone well. "What do you think of it?"  
  
Karone studied it. "I can have this?"  
  
"Of course. Consider it yours, if you like it."  
  
"I....like it," she ventured at last. "But what about pants, and shoes? Your measurements are different from mine, and your feet are certainly smaller."  
  
"I am fairly short, no doubt," said Sharie. "However, I am not *that* short--just upset because I am smaller than everyone else. I do have some stretchable spandex pants in here somewhere--they're meant to go to a taller person's mid-calf, but they come closer to my ankles than where they're supposed to. It should fit you more than me. Aha!" Sharie pulled them free. They were black, and were in excellent condition. "What do you think?"  
  
"They say that black goes with any color," agreed Karone, barely hesistating this time. "But--shoes?"  
  
"Well--it's true that my feet are smaller than yours," Sharie studied Karone's bare feet from where she'd kicked off her boots. "But your foot is about the size and width of my adoptive mother's. I still have some of her canvas shoes someplace, ones she never wore. They're black, too. Wait here, and put on those clothes while I am gone."  
  
She vanished out the door, leaving Karone in private to change.  
  
****  
  
As swiftly as she could, Karone slid into the clothes, plesantly surprised to find that they fit exactly. Sharie, while she was not inclined to dress up herself, certainly had an eye for fashion detail, she had to admit, as she glanced in the mirror.  
  
This done, Sharie still had not returned, and Karone found herself staring at the numerous photos on the wall, depictions of happier times in the girl's life. Some were with Sharie with the family that Karone had noted as the Thoene family that was often around her--chills running down her spine as she noticed a picture of the very twins that had once seriously corrupted her plans--in fact, more than once. She knew she owed them, especially the boy, Toby, a serious apology for chaining him to the wall after Darkonda had kidnapped him that time--that is, if she ever saw him.  
  
Karone also noted pictures of two other individuals, looking eerily like Marisha and Marek Thoene, but for vague differences. These had to be Sharie's adoptive parents--Karone realized she didn't even know the names of these people. She had barely heard that they had long since died. How, she hadn't a clue.  
  
Sharie returned at last, shoes in hand. "Sorry I took so long. I had to dig through shoeboxes until I found the right pair."  
  
Karone blinked, suddenly aware Sharie was there. She forced her eyes from the wall quickly, although this fact did not escape Sharie's notice. Still, she said nothing.  
  
"Thank you," Karone thought to say, though the words were almost foreign to her tongue. She had a lot to learn, she knew--including overcoming her spoiled temper that she had often displayed on the Dark Fortress. She pulled on the simple canvas shoes, discovering that they, too, fit well.  
  
"You look great," Sharie commented as Karone stood up and walked around, getting the feel of the clothes. "Ready to go shopping?"  
  
"I don't have any money," Karone whispered, this fact suddenly occuring to her. "How am I to--"  
  
"Don't worry about money, I'll take care of it," Sharie voiced, and waved her hand when Karone protested. "Trust me, it's nothing. My adoptive parents left more than enough to ensure that I would be well off for the rest of my life here on Earth. So don't worry about it."  
  
"Are you *sure*?" pleaded Karone. "I've taken advantage of you enough as it is."  
  
"No you haven't, I like doing this sort of thing for others. Trust me."  
  
"...Um...thanks, then," Karone gestured. "I was studying some of the pictures on your wall. Those...were your parents?"  
  
It brought Sharie up short. "Well...yes, they were. Donningan and Madhea Thoene," she said softly. "They're....gone, now."  
  
There was something strange in Karone's eyes. "Were they good parents?"  
  
Sharie bit her lip. She never could bring herself to talk about these two wonderful people, it was so intensely painful and raw she just didn't venture there. But the look in Karone's eyes made her change her mind. "They were the best parents one could wish for. They meant as much to me as my birth parents. Losing them....was one of the hardest things I have endured." she ducked her head. "I...don't like talking about it much, if you understand what I mean."  
  
Karone thought she understood. "I...didn't mean to be presumptuous," she began. "It's just that....I can empathize a little. I don't remember my birth parents much. Andros tells me they're alive, but I haven't seen them yet. The man I always thought of as being a father figure--I don't even know if I will see him again, at least on the same side of the battlefield. Ecliptor--was more than what he seemed."  
  
"You loved him like a father?" Sharie was beginning to understand this all of a sudden. "He treated you well?"  
  
"He loved me, and I loved him. He raised me. He could have killed me when I was dumped on his doorstep, but he didn't. Even though he lied to me about my past....he loved me and wanted me to be happy." Suddenly, Karone's eyes burned. "I rose through the ranks faster than he did, but after I got the Dark Fortress, he remained as my second-in-command. He was always loyal, and there for me, though he professed to be evil."  
  
"You miss him," Sharie put forward.  
  
Karone blinked, but nodded, unable and unwilling to deny it. A sudden shiver came over her as tears filled her eyes for real, this time. "I am sorry," she ground out as they spilled over, she unable to control them. "Does that make me sound traitorous?"  
  
"Oh, absolutely not!" Sharie exclamied, shocked at the notion. Karone accepted her touch, even leaned into her, when Sharie slid her arms around her in a comforting gesture. "He raised you and loved you as his own. Does that sound like a man who was completely evil? He showed you caring, otherwise you would never have protected Andrew and Karen from the quantron. He let Andros live, even though I know he hates the red ranger with a passion. And he made sure you made it to safety."  
  
"I didn't want to leave him!" Karone suddenly wailed, though Sharie was unsurprised when Karone started crying for real. "It's not fair--he made me go! I wanted him to come, but he stayed behind to make sure I would get to safety!" She sniffled. "And he was hurt on top of it!"  
  
"Parents often are willing to make the ultimate sacrifices for their children," Sharie said quietly. "But considering his stubborn reputation, I doubt if he is dead. Isn't he too valuable to be lost to Dark Spectre?"  
  
Karone sniffled again as she nodded. She had had a lot to absorb over the past days, and it was suddenly all hitting her at once. Sharie just let the girl hold onto her and cry, and trying to think of something to say.  
  
"Then it is likely he was spared. And he did it for you." Sharie drew in a breath, suddenly feeling a short, sharp wave of pain, emotional devastation, come over her so suddenly it took her senses away. With it came such a sharp feeling of deja vu she was astonished--as if something, some revalation, lay just under the surface, almost within her grasp--and yet she couldn't get it. It took everything she had to force down the feeling of pain and turn it aside. "Look--are you ready to go?"  
  
Karone wiped her eyes, her tears vanishing as quickly as they had appeared. She was just not used to showing her true feelings to anyone. "Yeah. Let's go."  
  
****  
  
Aboard the Dark Fortress, Darkonda watched the girls shop with a growing scowl. Imagine the nerve of that turncoat Astornema--going shopping, making friends.  
  
"Traitor!" he hissed. "Is this the thanks I get for all I have done for you?"  
  
At least she was showing she was clever, swiftly making friends and forming an allaiance with powerful people. "All the better to protect yourself with, eh, Astornema?" he groused. "Ya gonna have that Triforian brat defend you?"  
  
He paused, remembering a long-forgotten memory. That Triforian Princess....of course he remembered her....she had been, partially, the reason he had kidnapped Karone in the first place. He rememberd following Dark Dresden's orders, sneaking down to Triforia that day and stealing the little girl right from under her brother's nose.....  
  
Of course, Dark Spectre had not known this. Not only was Darkonda a bounty hunter, he would do just about anything for a fast intergalactic buck. Dark Spectre had himself been searching for a girl he could easily manipulate to the dark side, a girl with powerful mental abilities. When he had heard about a certain Triforian Princess with the ledgendary mental powers of The Ones, he had hired Darkonda to kidnap another girl and try to exchange them by any means necessary.  
  
And, of course, Dark Dresden had refused, leaving the girl, Karone, as a thorn in Dark Spectre's side. So he had reluctantly made the girl a part of his evil empire anyways. Dark Spectre had no idea that Darkonda had been hired by Dark Dresden first....if he knew this, he would have a fit.  
  
*And then *I* would be labeled the turncoat,* Darkonda mused, studying Sharie again. *Sharie obviously does not remember what I did to her. Best she not know, either. And now.....*  
  
A sudden idea occured to him. *Well, who says I can't play the same song twice? Dark Spectre's going to need a replacement for Astronema, if we can't get our hands on her. She's to be punished, anyways. What about the other girl? She's the one Dark Spectre wanted first....hmmmm, I wonder.....*  
  
He straightened. *No, she'd never willingly join the dark side. She's too pure. But those powers of hers could ensure our victory.....what to do? This is too good an idea to pass up....her powers, her brainpower, and her status.....I think I have an idea.....*  
  
Maybe he could fix it to where she would be willing to work with the Evil Alliance. Of course! Why hadn't he thought of this before? Their precious Violet Ranger was going to be the Violet Traitor before long.....  
  
Chuckling over what he had in mind, he went to contact Dark Spectre for confirmation of his plans, sure he would get them.....  
  
****  
  
Sharie could tell there was more on Karone's mind as they wandered the paths of the park that bordered on Angel Grove Forest. After shopping, Sharie had merely sent the various bags and boxes of things teleported to Karone's room, knowing full well that there was more she wanted to talk to the girl about.  
  
"So...." Sharie at last said. "Are you going to tell me what's on your mind, Karone?"  
  
"Well--" Karone paused. "You said you didn't tell anybody about me and Zhane, right?"  
  
"Except for Trey, of course not. I wasn't willing to risk a fight between the boys."  
  
"I still don't understand why you did it for me, anyways. The only part I understand about the whole mess was your probing questions about my locket and my past--but that's beside the point. Why *did* you help me, anyways?"  
  
Sharie considered this. "I told you then I did it for Zhane's sake, since I had seen him so lovesick," she mused thoughtfully. "And it's true. I hated seeing him so miserable when I ran into him. I don't know where he is now, exactly--out scouting with some of his fellow colinists. Nobody's heard from him in days. He'll be back, eventually--but what I also should mention is that I did it for your sake, too."  
  
"My sake? Why?"  
  
"If you were truly evil at heart, with no other emotion pulling at you, then you would never have fallen in love with Zhane," Sharie mentioned. "I believe I am right in that?"  
  
Karone blushed.  
  
"I thought so. So I hoped, in part, to show you more of what you were missing on our side, and to hopefully show you the second chance I was sure you deserved, as well as helping you and Zhane fix your problems. I didn't want to create tensions for you or the others, though, so I only told Trey afterwards--he would know in case the subject ever came up and I wasn't around for some reason. But I swore him to secrecy--it was the hardest thing to do, too--he was a strong advocate of telling Andros about you right away."  
  
Karone blanched, and Sharie hastily amended her words. "Not about the rondevouz I helped you plan. He would never have said a word about that, either. Well--" she paused, and decided to out with it. "I had barely mentioned that I knew you were Karone and I didn't want to tell Andros when he blew up at me. We had a fight, before he calmed down to let me tell him the rest. It took another day before that happened--it's a very, very sensetive subject, as you can well guess."  
  
"Why, since you kind of were in my shoes?" she asked with a faint smile. "We were both kidnapped, both taken from our families, and raised elsewhere. I bet it would be sensetive. Although," she paused. "I can't picture you or Trey fighting."  
  
"Well, we did," said Sharie shortly. "Anyways, to get back to the topic-- our lips are sealed. Whether you actually choose to *tell* Andros what happened is your buisness. When I told him what had happened the other day, I sort of left that part out."  
  
"Well--I am not sure I will, yet," admitted Karone. "That remains to be seen."  
  
****  
  
"You have *my* go-ahead," growled Dark Spectre over the comm system. "I hadn't forgotten, either. In fact, the idea had crossed my mind myself lately. Just don't come whining to me if your plan fails."  
  
"Astronema's with her," added Darkdonda. "Ya want me to capture her, too?"  
  
"We'll get her anyways. She is to be punished for turning traitor. But your first priority will be to get your hands on that violet menace-- understand?"  
  
"Yes, Dark Spectre," Darkonda bowed. "I will inform you of our progress."  
  
"Progress about *what*?" snarled a pain-filled voice as Dark Spectre's image blipped off the screen. "What have you got up your thorny sleeve this time, you plant reject?"  
  
Darkonda whirled to see a limping Ecliptor headed for him. The latter was walking over, hunched in pain.  
  
"Well, if it isn't the traitor's assistant," sneered Darkonda. "None of your business, I'd reckon. I'd just prepare Astornema's quarters for a new guest--if we play our cards right, a new princess of evil, if the old one doesn't return as planned."  
  
"What? Who?" snapped Ecliptor. "I demand answeres, you buffoon!"  
  
"All in good time, checkerboard nightmare. All in good time. Now go away."  
  
****  
  
Sharie and Karone were still walking along the edge of the woods when a rustling sound brought them up short. Sharie blinked in surprise to see her cousins, Toby and Tami Lynne Thoene, coming up the path, playing around, unsupervised, and certainly not paying attention to anything.  
  
"Those are--" Karone stopped, also in surprise. She hadn't quite expected to see the twins again this soon.  
  
It was Tami who saw the other pair first, and she tugged on Toby's arm, her face lighting up momentarily. He followed her pointing finger, smiling when he saw Sharie--and his jaw going slack in shock when he saw who was with her.  
  
Tami, too, took one look at Karone and went pale. The twins clutched hands and immediately slowed their approach.  
  
"Either I am going blind," signed Toby, a slight scowl of disbelief on his face, "or Sharie, you are walking with the Princess of Evil."  
  
"Is this our imagination?" put in Tami, her posture clearly cautious.  
  
Sharie was faintly amused. Of course they would not quite believe their eyes, and how, even with Karone's disguise, could they forget Astornema's face?  
  
"This isn't what it appears to be," she signed quickly. "Remember I told you about Astronema being Karone, and how Andros was going to get her back? Well, guys, meet Karone, Andros's sister."  
  
They blinked in identical surprise, and their approach only relaxed slightly. Toby came up and circled Karone, examining her from head to toe with a shrewd eye.  
  
"She is on our side, now?" he signed, a bit suspicious still. Sharie could not blame him--Astronema had once ordered him chained to the wall.  
  
"That is right. She will not hurt you."  
  
Karone held up her hand to stop the flow of gestures, wanting to say something right off to assure the twins. "Even though I am now sorry for what I put you two through," she tried to assure them, "I don't expect you to like me. I will understand if you still hate me, okay?"  
  
"Are you sincere on that?" signed Tami, standing protectively by her brother.  
  
"Yes. I...." she ducked her head, but then relifted it and looked the children in the eye. "I owe you a big apology for what I have done to you. Toby, you should know I never meant to hurt you, I never hurt children if I could help it. I am sincerely sorry for what I did, and I don't know what else to say."  
  
Toby looked at her, really looked at her, surprised by the genuine honesty he saw in her hazel eyes, so like Andros's.  
  
"You....*are* sincere, then?" His gestures emphasized.  
  
Karone nodded. "As I said; I don't expect you to forgive me or like me--I just wanted you to know--that I am sorry for what I have done."  
  
The twins looked at her a moment, then Tami pulled Toby aside, the twins turning their backs so their gestures could not be seen, although Sharie sensed they were using telepathy to further matters.  
  
At last, Toby nudged Tami forward, and she straightened her spine. She came forward, and to Karone's surprise, her serious expression melted into one of her typical sweet smiles.  
  
"I guess," she began, "If you can find it in your heart to change, then we can find it in us to forgive you and call you friend. And, since you are Andros's sister--I'd like to *be* your friend."  
  
"If you will let us," added her brother.  
  
Karone just smiled. Sharie turned her head, but behind her hand, she was smiling, too.  
  
For just a few moments, all was right with the universe--though it was not destined to last long.  
  
****  
  
"Enjoy your little stroll, Zeo Brat," chuckled Darkonda as he watched the scene. It was making him sick, all that lovey-doveyness. "It will be your last stroll in freedom."  
  
****  
  
It was only a few moments later, as the foursome were walking down the paths that bordered the forest and the park, that the ground began to shake around them.  
  
"What's happening?" Toby managed to sign, barely avoiding being knocked off his feet.  
  
Sharie moved to quickly catch Tami, who was sprawled directly across her toes. The girl looked beyond her and gave a silent, sharp gasp.  
  
Sharie looked to where the trembling child was indicating, and felt all the blood in her body flop directly to her feet.  
  
No fewer than a dozen quantrons were barreling down on them at top speed.  
  
"Oh, no!" Karone gasped as they were swiftly jumped. "This was what I feared!"  
  
"What, that they'd attempt to steal you back? I am not surprised," gasped Sharie as she shoved a metal menace off her. *Toby, Tami, activate your Zeo Warrior Powers! Now!*  
  
The twins obeyed Sharie's commanding mental tone immediately, disinclined to do aything *but*. They were extremely grateful they did not need to verbally call, all they had to do was look inside themselves for the source of the power and grasp it.  
  
Two brilliant flashes later, the twins found themselves in vaguely ninjetti- like costumes--Toby in silver and Tami in lavendar. They did not even pause, only ducked and whirled, doing their best to catch the quantrons off- guard, their senses thankfully heightened by the extra boost of the powers.  
  
Sharie took care to watch Karone out of the corners of her eyes. A veiled calm had replaced Karone's earlier panic, she had summoned her spear from nowhere and was doing her best to handle things in an even manner.  
  
As the fight wore on, Sharie wondered why the quantrons wer focusing on *her*, of all people. A few seemed to be trying to hold Karone and the Twins away from her, and the rest were piling on her in large groups.  
  
"Why you?" Karone panted. "I would think they would be attempting to steal me away to take me to Dark Spectre. I was the one who betrayed them!"  
  
"I don't know, Karone!" Sharie's mind raced. "Grab the twins and hustle them into the woods. Get away from public areas--I don't want innocent civilians hurt! Just get them out of here!"  
  
"But what about you?" protested Karone, jabbing her spear into it's mark and kicking the quantron away. "I can't leave you here. I won't!"  
  
"Karone, don't argue! Do as I say! I will follow! Now get the twins and go!"  
  
Sharie's tone said she would brook no opposition. Karone heaved a sigh, more of despair than anything. Groping wildly, she sent her spear away and managed to find a hand of each twin. Without a gesture of explanation, she turned and fled into the woods, surprised twins in tow.  
  
Some of the quantrons broke loose, hot on their heels. Karone distinctly heard a thundering Tami in her mind. *Why did you do that? She could be hurt by herself! Let us go!*  
  
*She told me to get you out of here!* Karone was grateful she had studied non-empathic telepathy and knew how to respond. *Sharie said she would follow! Just obey me and come on!*  
  
Tami, ever the stubborn one, jerked free, though she still ran. Out of thin air she summoned a silvery bow and a quiver of magical arrows. Barely pausing, so swift was her flight, she turned and fired the arrows with a deadly accuracy at the presuing quantrons.  
  
She was not an excellent marksman for nothing.  
  
Toby, seeing this, drew a blowgun out of thin air and, still fleeing, turned and fired numerous tiny energy darts at the persuing crowd. He was grateful, also, that his aim was sure and his blowgun had a never-ending supply of ammunition.  
  
Karone re-summoned her spear and kept firing behind her as she fled with the children. Her newly re-disovered sense of ethics would not allow her to have the children come to harm--and damned if she was going to let them be kidnapped, when she sensed that they still did not quite fully trust her as it was! They may have granted her friendship, but she sensed that complete trust was something that she would have to earn with a lot of people.  
  
As soon as she was able to break free, Sharie was close behind, firing energy bolts from her power staff, frying quantrons right and left. Still, they kept coming, and she wondered just how far they would have to flee before the twins or Karone, especially, gave out and were captured.  
  
The thought was not plesant, and Sharie certainly did not want it on her conscience. With this in mind, she redoubled her efforts to catch up with the others, and her fleet-footendess ensured that it was soon forthcoming. The group that had been persuing her freinds in the first place--what was left of them, anyways--fell swiftly to her energy blasts, and soon, there were only a few left behind her.  
  
The last thing they needed was for one of the quantrons to reach for a special weapon Sharie by now recognized. She tried to cry out a warning to Karone, but it was too late. The ground shook, and a brilliant white light flashed, and Sharie, Karone, Tami, and Toby all stumbled and were hurtled into unconsciousness.  
  
****  
  
"Idiots!" growled Darkonda savagely, pacing the bridge of the Dark Fortress in a fit of temper. "I wanted her captured, not sent into another dimension with the rest!"  
  
He stopped pacing and put his head in his hand in defeat. "Oh, well, I can try again shortly, and get her there. Even recapture Astronema at the same time. What can they do? They're stuck."  
  
"Astronema wouldn't come with you," rasped Ecliptor from nearby. "It would be like trusting a cloud to go where you tell it to. She certainly doesn't trust you. And now, what do you plan to do with the violet ranger?"  
  
"Dark Spectre and myself--we have plans for her," sneered Darkonda. "She would make a great witch, don't you think?"  
  
Ecliptor stilled, surprised. "You have got to be out of your ever-bloomin' tree. Sharie would never go with you. She's pure of heart. She'd kill you"  
  
Darkonda shrugged, not put off in the slightest. "Let's just say....I plan to convince her otherwise," he cackled. "The Evil Alliance could use someone with her mental powers and Zeo Energy, not to mention the deadly zords she is rumored to have under her control--it's not known for certain, but when she's swayed to our side, she'll tell all soon enough. Not to mention her skills and knowledge of things we could only dream of. She'll add distinction to the Evil Alliance and defeat those power pests at the same time!"  
  
Ecliptor wanted to choke his old rival. "She is one of The Ones, you fool! Triforia's rare, almost mythical mental elite! You would never get past her mental blocks, or reason with her! Her skills are too strong!"  
  
"Silence! We'll see about that when the time comes. Now lie there and shut up! You're supposed to be recovering anyway, not flapping your yap! I am full of loathing even keeping you here, if Dark Spectre hadn't ordered it. But *no*, he says you're too valuable...." an evil laugh escaped Darkonda's lips. "But he didn't say I couldn't have fun with you in repayment for all the misery you've caused me. Ha ha ha! As for Sharie....well, I finally have hold of the prize Dark Spectre wanted, even if it is twelve years too late. Too bad she doesn't remember the first time we met--or what I did!"  
  
"What in Furie's Wrath are you talking about?"  
  
"Surely you aren't so dumb you can't guess," chided Darkonda. "It was Dark Dresden who hired me those years ago to do his kidnapping. Especially that pesky Triforian Princess. And then when Dark Spectre was searching for a kid with powerful mental abilities, young enough to sway to the dark side, he heard about her. *He*, in turn, hired me to kidnap another girl and try to do the exchange thing. Well, it didn't work, and that's how Karone got dumped on your doorstep. Dark Spectre had to use her instead--I thought she had been turning out real well, too. Instead, she turned out to be a turncoat. Well, this time, Sharie won't be my pawn--but she will have a grand place in the Evil Alliance, Dark Spectre'll see to that. Yessiree, he'll reward me handsomely for *this* prize."  
  
"You....." Ecliptor was beyond outraged. "You were going to give that innocent little girl, my Karone...into the hands of that....perverted monster in exchange for another little girl who happened to have more mindpower? Gods, you are so twisted, Darkonda, even for someone evil. And when Dark Dresden didn't feel Karone was exchange enough, you dumped her on my door for me to raise. And I did raise her, not you! Damn, but how many other children have fallen victim to your evil clutches?"  
  
"Silence! Did I ask for your opinion?"  
  
Ecliptor grew silent, but he seethed. *Oh, my princess, please stay safe. This is not fair to either you or Sharie.* From that moment on, he began to silently plot ways to foil Darkonda's plans. He was not going to get away with this. He knew some people simply weren't meant to be evil, and Sharie was one of them. Astronema? At one time, he would have said yes to the question without hesistation....now he was not so sure. As long as his princess was safe...and happy....  
  
****  
  
Karone awakened abruptly, swiftly becoming aware of her surroundings. Inwardly stiffening, she opened her hazel eyes.  
  
She was in some sort of jungle was her first impression. Her next was holding onto her former enemy for dear life and protecting nine-year-old twins. All three of the others were still out cold.  
  
She lifted her head, and immediately winced in pain. Oh, Furie's Wrath, but she was sore! Every part of her ached as she attempted to move it. Sharie....  
  
Suddenly remembering, she stiffened and looked over to her comrade. Sharie was curled across from her, the twins hunched protectively underneath both of them. The older two had formed a shield to protect them at the last moment.  
  
Karone, ignoring the ache in her muscles, reached over and shook Sharie's arm gently.  
  
"Sharie!" she hissed. Wake up, please! Can you hear me?"  
  
Sharie did not respond.  
  
"Sharie, for heaven's sake, wake up! I need your help!"  
  
Karone shook Sharie harder, and finally, a faint moan escaped the smaller ranger's lips. "Hm-wha?" She mumbled, then gave a faint yelp. "Ow, careful, Karone....my arm..."  
  
"Sorry," whispered Karone, as Sharie's purple eyes blinked open, dazed. "Are you as sore as I am?"  
  
"I bet," Sharie mumbled, struggling to get her bearings as she sat up, her whole body protesting. She blinked, and quickly looked down at the twins, still out cold.  
  
"They demorphed. And my staff's gone--the blast must have sent anything Power related back into hyperspace."  
  
"Well, we can't help that much until we wake them up. We all have to be fully functional if we are to get out of here alive," observed Karone. Sharie nodded, taking hold of Toby's shoulders as Karone genlty shook Tami.  
  
Both were glad it did not take long to rouse the dazed pair. They stirred, and twin sets of golden eyes looked around them in bleary confusion.  
  
"Time to rise and shine," Sharie gestured to Tami as soon as the girl was looking at her. Inadvertently, Tami smiled. "Where are we?" her fingers fluttered.  
  
"There's no place on earth like this," Sharie answered. "We don't have purple trees or orange skies in Angel Grove, at any rate."  
  
"What a yucky combination," observed Toby as he struggled to his feet. "So this is a dimensional crossing. All I can say is--ouch. It makes you sore."  
  
"I'll second that," put in Tami. "And this is just what we need, too. To give our folks more worry. They don't need this, not while Mom's pregnant."  
  
"Pregnant?" echoed Karone absently. "So that's why she was getting big around the middle."  
  
Tami only thumped the side of her hand against her chest, a gesture that clearly translated as, "well, duh."  
  
Sharie ignored this as she began to get tense again. "Can you guys call for your weapons?" she asked suddenly to Karone.  
  
The spear and boomerang appeared in Karone's hands at once.  
  
"Good. I have a bad feeling about this place." Sharie heaved a sigh as she turned to her cousins. "Can you morph?"  
  
The twins nodded obediently, closing their eyes and sending out the mental call that remorphed them in the protective powers of the Zeo Warriors.  
  
"Well, at least that option is open for you," sighed Sharie, studying her morphers. "These are practically dead; I certainly cannot morph with them. Zeo Violet Warrior Power!" she cried, the flash of light granting her the added protection she hoped would be suffiencet enough.  
  
The violet suit appeared around her body, and a slim staff appeared in her hand. A spearpoint flickered into view on top, similar to Karone's, but with a differend design and slimmer staff. Still, it would work as well as any.  
  
"Wow. What else can you do with...with that power?" Karone asked out of curiosity.  
  
"Mostly call for an array of simple energy weapons, blasters, the like," Sharie answered. "The Zeo Warrior Powers aren't too powerful; they are designed for self-defense an preservation, mostly. Definetly not to attack in. They aren't very strong--but I did discover recently they do have an Ultra mode for worst-case scenarios."  
  
Karone glanced down at herself, keenly aware that her own Earth clothes offered little protection. "I am a witch, you know," she mused. "But no doubt my powers would be limited here, and I have little protection beyond my chosen weapons. Sharie, you are well aware that my fighting skills leave something to be desired. If we are attacked again, I am not sure how much I could do."  
  
"That's true." Sharie looked at her zeonizers thoughtfully, then to Karone, then back to the zeonizers. "Here, let me try something."  
  
Karone only stared as Sharie tapped at the buttons of the Zeonizers for a few moments, then pulled them off her wrists and handed them to her former enemy. "Here, put these on, just for a few minutes."  
  
"Why?" Karone was a little taken aback.  
  
"I can't call upon my powers, true," Sharie admitted. "However, they are still emitting enough of a Zeo energy field that, after a few minute's exposure at this frequency, should permit you to become a Zeo Warrior in your own right. Not Violet, but a color that matches your personality traits. I am only violet because I have truly morphed with Zeo energy. It would have been the same with any former Zeo Ranger."  
  
"Then I will likely be black," mused Karone. "Considering my upbringing." She swallowed. "Really...I don't know what to say...thank you."  
  
"You don't have to say anything else," Sharie assured her as she helped Karone slip on the Zeonizers. "I care. Now, keep those on until I tell you to remove them. Then I want you to look inside yourself and either menally call out, or verbally, it doesn't matter--thank goodness for the twins on that fact."  
  
****  
  
A sharp sensation of dread hit the pit of Carlos's stomach all at once. He was busy at the moment, and tried to shrug it off, but it didn't fade.  
  
As it grew worse, he thumped his hand on the console, startling TJ, who was beside him.  
  
TJ jumped. "Must you do that?" he asked. "I am kinda busy here."  
  
"Hang that," Carlos replied stiffly. "Something's wrong, I know it is. DECA, where are Sharie and Karone?"  
  
"They are in Angel Grove Park, walking the paths that border the park and the forest."  
  
"You're uptight for some reason," said TJ, trying to reassure him. "Hey, relax."  
  
"I can't," said Carlos. "I've been bugged all day by the feeling something was going to happen, and it just now crashed in on me."  
  
Trey spoke up, finally. He had finally moved from where he had been standing silently in the corner, and his face had gone pale. "I do to. DECA!"  
  
Immediately DECA's warning sirens began to flash. "Attack in progress," she announced with that maddeningly calm tone of hers.  
  
"Where?" snapped Carlos, Andros, and Trey at the same time.  
  
"Angel Grove Park. I hate to say this, guys, but Sharie and Karone are indeed under attack by quantrons. What's worse, Toby and Tami Thoene are with them."  
  
"Oh, no!" cried Cassie. "That makes this all the worse. Let's get going!"  
  
"You would not be able to," DECA sounded distinctly like she was sighing in regret. "A forcefield's been erected around the area. You'd never get in, by teleportation or otherwise."  
  
"Damn!" hissed Carlos. "They must be after Karone, and the twins are caught in the crossfire. DECA, can you bring up a visual?"  
  
"Attempting to get through now," the computer answered. "Onscreen."  
  
Six horrified individuals watched in terrified silence as they saw a *huge* pack of quantrons attacking the group. The twins called on their Zeo Warrior powers for protection, but that was of little consolation.  
  
"Why are they piling on Sharie?" asked Ashley. "I would figure they'd be after Karone."  
  
"I don't know," Andros whispered hoarsely, as they watched, unable to do anything, as Sharie screamed for Karone to take the children and run into the forest.  
  
"Why--" gasped Carlos. "What is she *doing*? That leaves her almost all alone with those creeps!"  
  
TJ hhmphed. "You know how she is. Self-preservation my foot."  
  
The next scenes were of the flight through the forest, Sharie's firing at the quantrons and finally bringing them all down--well, almost all.  
  
The collective gasp of horror was icy cold in the room as, the figure only a blur, the last quantron flung a dimensional shifter on the ground. There was the glowing white flash, and suddenly everybody was gone.  
  
Trey felt his heart fall straight to his toes. *No! Not again! This was not supposed to happen again!*  
  
Carlos felt a similar chill. This looked too much like the incident with the dimensional *ripper*, those devices usually deadly.  
  
"DECA?" squeaked Cassie. "Are they...."  
  
"The device thrown was a type-3 dimensional shifter, Cassie," answered the computer. "Not a ripper. It is not deadly to humanoid tissue. Wherever they arrived, they arrived intact. It is usually classified as a bumpy way to travel, but otherwise harmless."  
  
"That is of little consolation," said Ashely. "The question is--*where* did they go?"  
  
"Unknown as of now," said DECA. "But they left energy signatures. I will attempt to track them, but it may take awhile."  
  
"Well, do it," said Andros tightly. "I swear, if anything happens to them, I'll go crazy."  
  
"Likewise," muttered Trey and Carlos at the same time. "Definetly likewise."  
  
****  
  
The zeonizers on Karone's wrists beeped at last. Karone, who had been staring off into space, blinked, startled. The next thing she was truly aware of, Sharie was pulling the morphers off her wrists.  
  
"What now?" asked Karone, suddenly a little uncertain.  
  
"Look inside yourself," Sharie advised. "There should be a new awareness there that was not there before. Summon that awareness and make the call."  
  
"A--all right," the girl answered, uncertain of herself. "Here goes nothing."  
  
Karone's hazel eyes closed, and she breathed deeply, turning her gaze inwards to points in her own heart that she had been long unaware of. What kind of new awareness? Of herself? Of others? Of this power? Of her own heart and soul, even?  
  
"I am not sure I can do this," she whispered in dispair through gritted teeth. "I just can't find it."  
  
"Don't force yourself," Sharie sounded maddeningly calm. "Like a shining light within yourself, let it come to you."  
  
*A shining light?* Karone wondered. *Is that what they see?*  
  
Maybe Sharie had been only speaking in metaphor, but Karone searched, hard, for something that she could identify as power, while not forcing herself to feel it.  
  
"You can do it," Sharie quietly encouraged. "Just see the light."  
  
Even as she spoke, Karone smiled, a radiant light coming over her body. Sharie had been right. Much of the power came from a person's heart--and no wonder Karone had such a hard time. She had been forced to deny her heart all her life.  
  
But finally, it seemed so easy--this blinding light within her heart's depths. "Zeo Warrior Power!"  
  
The bright light flashed, and Karone suddenly breathed deeply with a strange power flooding through her. Her hazel eyes opened, and she found herself transformed.  
  
She was not black, and she felt a private relief for that. She was a very light yellow-gold, almost white-gold. Her outfit *was* trimmed in white, also. A flash of light appeared by her hand and elongated, she found herself holding her spear, now also transformed, the colors changed on it to reflect her newfound powers.  
  
Sharie smiled, at least a little bit of pride evident in her eyes. "What do you think, Karone?"  
  
"I...uh....wow," Karone stammered. "This is....amazing. Incredible. I figured I would be a lot darker in color."  
  
"You are not, are you?" asked Sharie. "Though a dark color does not necessarily mean a dark personality."  
  
The process was no sooner said than done, for Sharie sensed Tami's terror before she heard the sharp whistle blast, set within the very narrow range the twins could actually hear.  
  
And she immediately saw the source of the girl's terror. Barreling towards them, without any warning whatsoever, were a sizeable group of....well, tall white monsters, wicked yellow claws raised and ready to kill. The only thing more convincing of this bloodlust was the promise of death reflected in their eyes.  
  
"Here we go again," Sharie muttered, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ears, ignoring her tumbledown braids. "Let's get this over with."  
  
This time nobody hesistated, leaping into the fray, more on edge this time and thus more prepared.  
  
Out of the corner of her eyes, Sharie again watched Karone. Her fighting skills had definetly improved beyond her two weapons, though Karone had denied it. The incident with the planet natives a couple of weeks ago had stuck in her mind.  
  
Still, it did not stop one monster from knocking Karone down and raising his claws for a death blow. His hideous breath smelled of evil and Karone was sure this was the end. *Andros....*  
  
"Not if I can help it," Sharie muttered. Quick as a flash, she jerked a knife from it's hidden sheath at her ankle and sent it whizzing through the air. With a deadly accuracy that she had long since mastered, her knife found it's target, straight in the middle fo the monster's back.  
  
From below, Karone gave a strangled shriek as the monster pinning her down had his arms raised, about ready to plunge his clwas into her throat. He grunted, stiffening, and blood suddenly bubbled at the corners of his huge, ugly mouth. He gave a faint death groan, and slowly, as if in a horrible nightmare, he slumped over on top of her, knife buried to the hilt square in the middle of his back.  
  
"Oh, yuk!" Karone exclaimed, wiggling out from underneath the heavy monster who pinned her. When she got free, she gaped at the sight of the knife in his back, and her eyes grew wide as Sharie calmly came over and tugged it free.  
  
"Uh....thanks, but...how did you do that?" gasped Karone at last, stumbling over her tongue.  
  
"Practice makes perfect," said Sharie shortly, not even looking at her. Her face had taken on a deadly expression, and her eyes were spitting fire-- a strange sight for a Triforian. Karone had no doubt that Sharie's temper, so easily hidden, had been ignited. "Let's get the rest of 'em."  
  
With renewed energy, both girls turned and flung themselves back into the fray. Tami got her second wind and called for her fire-bow, different from the silvery one since it sent a limitless supply of energy arrows that burned their targets like fire. And, as usual, her aim was more than accurate. Toby fared well with his blowgun, and at last, they began to win.  
  
****  
  
DECA's signal beeped, causing the tense bridgeful of people to jump. "I have located their signals, all four of them," she announced. "They are in another dimension, all right."  
  
"Do you have the coordinantes?" Andros almost demanded.  
  
"Right here. You had better get that dimensional teleporter set back up. You are going to need it."  
  
****  
  
Darkonda calmly watched the fray. These were not monsters he had sent, but he was curious, and waited to see what happened. He did snarle in anger and sheer disbelief at seeing Karone's new powers.  
  
"Damn that traitor!" he snarled. "She's gone too far! As soon as I send the proper monsters for kidnapping that violet brat, she'll pay! Oh, hell yes, she'll pay!"  
  
"No!" gasped Ecliptor painfully as he staggered into the room just in time to hear this. "You hurt Astronema and I'll--"  
  
"You what, checkerboard reject? Hurt me? In your condition? Like I am really scared. Besides, Dark Spectre left me in charge, so I order you to pipe down!"  
  
Ecliptor did, but he turned his back so Darkdonda would not see his narrowed eyes. Oh, yes, somebody would pay, he vowed. But it would not be him. Darkonda was going *down*, and that was that.  
  
****  
  
Finally, it was Karone's spear that felled the last monster. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief as quiet returned to the jungle.  
  
"Whew!" sighed Karone, sending her bloody spear back into hyperspace. "I wonder what brought *that* on."  
  
"They didn't seem totally sentient," answered Sharie. "But they certainly had bloodlust. Wherever we are, we are probably intruding on their territory."  
  
"Then let's go!" Tami suddenly pleaded, staring at the ground littered with bodies. "This is giving me the creeps."  
  
"I can't say I blame her," signed Toby. "I agree, in fact. Let's find someplace else to mope around."  
  
"Wait!" Sharie suddenly cried, her hands flying to her throat. "My locket! Wait a moment!"  
  
Her violet eyes were wide as she automatically traced her fight path, and she sighed in relief when she spied the locket, not too far away from where they were standing, lying there in the grass, glittering invitingly.  
  
"Whew!" she picked it up. "Thank goodness only the clasp was pulled loose. I would have hated to have lost this." She re-secured the chain around her neck.  
  
"What is it?" asked Karone as they left the bloodbath of horror behind.  
  
"The locket that Trey gave to me when we turned five--we share the same birthday, you know," Sharie answered. She opened it, showing the pictures of her and Trey on one side, and her whole family, including her birth parents, on the other. "I would hate to lose it. I've worn it all these years. It means a lot to me."  
  
Karone nodded. "I can see why."  
  
"Trey..." Sharie's eyes softened, and something broiled behind her eyes. "He has one just like it, except he doesn't wear it. He usually keeps it attached to an inside pocket of his tunic, less chance of it getting lost that way. Now I understand why."  
  
"So how do we get home?" Toby changed the subject.  
  
"I don't know, Toby," Sharie answered her cousin wearily. "The one transidmensional spell I know of I can't use because Darkonda made sure of that. The spell doesn't work in all dimensions, and this is one of them. Besides, I doubt if you would want to get home that way--you would have to cross an evil realm. Snap the link, and you are trapped their forever."  
  
Karone shuddered. "I know of that spell," she whispered. "Only traveled it once, but that was enough for me. Never again will I do it." Her eyes went distant. "It is so hard to believe that just days ago, I was convinced I wanted people like you destroyed. Then I find out Andros is my brother, and everything in me changes--it's like I am somebody totally different. I help him and his friends and betray the dark side. And--here I am," she mused. "I--I realize now what a horrible person I was. And yet I realize that that person was never me. I never had friends before--I didn't deserve them."  
  
Tami had been lipreading this, a thoughtful look on her heart-shaped face. A light flickered behind her golden eyes, as if making a decision she had been unable to resolve until now. Suddenly, the child came forward and took Karone's hand in her small one, giving her the most charming smile she could muster. "You are *you*, Karone. That is reason to respect and trust you enough, and as for me, I like and trust you completely, now." The gestures were used emphatically, with truth.  
  
Karone's eyes brightened, even moreso when she saw Toby wave his agreement. How completely fulfilling friendship was--you did not have to force it on anyone, it wasn't hard to get, and the more you gave, the more you recieved. Indeed, it was much preferrable.  
  
"Karone--" signed Toby hesistantly. "Would you--would you ever go back to the Dark Fortress again, if given the choice to do so?"  
  
Karone did not even hesistate now. "Never willingly. I don't want that life anymore."  
  
****  
  
"Never willingly, huh, Astronema?" mused Darkonda, rubbing his chin thoughtfully, his beady eyes glowing with an evil light. "Well, we shall see about that. But for now, I want that zeo brat." He turned to a crowd of Quantrons. "Okay, you tin monkeys, listen up. Get the triforian princess, and bring her to me alive. I don't care so much about the others right now, and besides, they are stuck there anyways, but I want that purple-eyed menace. Now go!"  
  
The quantrons mumbled something in their unintelligible language and saluted, then turned around and marched out the door, seranaded by Darkonda's hideous laughter.  
  
****  
  
Carlos could not work fast enough to get the dimensional transporter back on line. He, as well as just about everyone else, was continually plauged by the dreadful feeling that their friends and family trapped were in grave danger.  
  
"Incoming transportation," said DECA. "It's the new Zeo Silver Ranger, Shayla."  
  
"Okay," said Andros, not paying much attention as he manipulated the controls.  
  
Out of a swirling gold-sliver column of light, Shayla Triesta materialized, a look of concern clearly on her face.  
  
"I came as soon as you told me," she said as she walked over to see what they were doing. "And I am ready. Is it up yet?"  
  
"Thank you," said Carlos, grunting as he reached under the console top to fix a few more wires. "Just about done--there!"  
  
The transporter lights blinked, then hummed to life.  
  
"You and Cassie be careful," TJ thought to warn Shayla and the Pink Ranger. "I don't know what you will run into, but there's bound to be trouble, I can smell it. Good luck."  
  
"Are you ready?" asked Cassie, eyeing her half-aquitian, half-triforian friend. "Especially since this is your first real adventure?"  
  
Shayla nodded. "Ready when you are."  
  
****  
  
The scene in the jungle again went from quiet to a virtual explosion of movements in moments.  
  
"Oh, no, not quantrons *again*!" Toby's fingers wailed. "They don't learn, do they?"  
  
Perhaps it was an extremely lucky thing that everyone was still tensed to fight after the last battle. The surprise quantron attack was not met completely unprepared. The first quantron to come rushing at them met Tami's elbow square in the abdomen, casuing him to give a metallic grunt and double over. She crashed the side of her hand on the back of his neck with pure force behind the movement, and he collapsed, to move no more.  
  
"Serves you right," she gestured defiantly. "Jerk."  
  
One of Toby's favorite moves was flying tornado kicks, and the quantrons were short enough that his kicks reached their target easily. More than one was sent flying with this favored manuver.  
  
However, Sharie was once again unplesantly surprised to discover that she was bearing the brunt of the Quantron's attacks. She silently cursed. She could learn any martial arts of a million worlds, and she would still have her limits.  
  
*Karone!* Her mind suddenly thundered into the girl's head, loudly and desperately. *Hustle the twins together again and flee!! They want *me*, for some awful reason, not you guys--yet!*  
  
*No!* she sent back, shocked worse than before. *I won't leave you in the grips of these monsters, not like I did Ecliptor! This isn't fair to you!*  
  
Sharie ducked just in time to avoid being grabbed on both sides. The quantrons above her crashed heads and fell.*I said, grab them and GO! I will do my best to follow, but if I am captured, you would still be free and have a chance to get back to the Megaship. I have no doubt they are at least tracking us by now. They will get to you somehow. Good luck, but for heaven's sake, go!* Her mental voice would brook no opposition. *Do your best to protect the twins, please!*  
  
*I will do my best, I promise!* Karone knew it was useless to argue. You just could not back down with someone like Sharie. She had to be the most stubborn person alive.  
  
Both Tami and Toby struggled, vainly protesting when she grabbed their flailing hands simultaneously. As she sped away with their protesting bodies in tow, she desperately sent them a mental explanation of why Sharie was having them hustled away. When she had finally made them understand they had no choice, she was never so grateful they accepted the explanation at last, regardless of the feelings of guilt she was sure would burden them later.  
  
After she had convinced them, they stopped protesting and moved as fast as their feet could carry them, hoping against hope that Sharie was somehow following them.  
  
Karone slowed down at one point, summoning her spear and firing as hard and fast as she could twards her persuers, which was not enough to detract the approaching quantrons. To her horror, Sharie was just in front of them, and she stopped and flung herself in their path, all the better to let Karone get the twins to safety, and a clear risk to her own life. Karone felt her eyes burn when she saw most of them pounce upon Sharie, grabbing her up and holding her fast just before she vanished.  
  
"Oh, *NO*!" Karone cried, knowing now that nothing else could be done but to continue her flight. She turned on her heels, fleeing again after the twins, bound and determined to see that they remained alive.  
  
Weapons fire echoed in the jungle towards the fleeing trio, just adding to the danger as their persuers refused to give up the chase. One shot lanced Tami painfully on the leg, and she fell, blood spurting from the wound. Her head struck against a sharp stone, causing another gash to slice across the side of her forehead.  
  
"*Gods*, what next!" cried Karone, stopping and rushing for the fallen child. Barely pausing, she scooped Tami up and continued her flight, glancing downwards at her to check the child's condition.  
  
She was amazed that Tami was still awake. Blood was seeping down the side of her face from the forehead cut, and her leg was oozing blood, and none- too-slowly. Karone feared Tami would soon go into shock if this kept up.  
  
Toby had not been obilvious to this. He slowed enough to allow Karone flee with his twin in her arms, as he summoned his blowgun and fired several energy darts at their persuers, desperately trying to slow them down for his tiwn's stake. His heart ached with a fierce fire and fear for Tami's safety--how could it not? She was his other half, and without her, he was nothing.  
  
A searing pain lanced through Karone's shoulder as she was shot, despite how fast they were fleeing and Toby's deadly accurate aim. She stumbled, and nearly dropped the child she was trying so hard to protect. Her own blood soaked her yellow-gold tunic, and none too soon, she was sure, Karone began to feel dizzy. Still, she mustered every ounce of strength she had and fled on, not sure how much longer she could keep this up.  
  
She heard Toby's for-once-audible cry of pain as he was knicked in the side from another shot. The force was enough to send him into a headlong tumble, scratching him all over and bruising him severely. He got up nevertheless, ignoring the burning pain, and raced after his companions. He could not afford to slow down, even though he clearly sensed time was running out for them all.  
  
****  
  
"Everything's set," said Andros. "I hope you are ready. I have a dreadful feeling right about now that something is horribly wrong."  
  
Cassie and Shayla, fully morphed, nodded.  
  
Shayla winced at Trey's pallid face as she stepped on the specialized teleportation pad, surely he sensed, as she did, that Sharie was in grave danger.  
  
A light flickered in front of them, and flattened into a glowing doorway- sized portal, thier exit into the next dimension.  
  
"Go, quickly!" urged Ashley. "This is bad, I can smell it."  
  
Without another word, Shayla and Cassie nodded and vanished through the portal, taking everyone's prayers with them.  
  
Trey crossed his arms over his abdomen, not sure how much more of this he could stand. Not now, not ever. It took everything he had to admit this, but after all the emotional turmoil of the last few months, and what was affecting him now, he was just about ready to give up.  
  
****  
  
Karone was blinded by the bright lights that suddenly appeared ahead. Furie's Wrath, but what now? She was about ready to give up and she wanted desperately to cry or scream in sheer frustration.  
  
*Sharie! I can't even keep a simple a promise as to protecting others! What kind of a person am I?!*  
  
For a moment, the feeling was compounded by shots fired from in front of her. Great was her astonisment when the shots whizzed past her and crashed into the persuing quantrons.  
  
"Get through the portal!" It was Cassie, and some....silver zeo ranger? "We will hold them off and follow when we can! Where's Sharie?"  
  
Karone shook her head, the anguished look on her face telling them clearly that Sharie was not with them. Her dizziness from blood loss increased as she stumbled towards the portal, the child in her arms growing heavier and heavier as they both suffered from the loss of blood.  
  
With a last surge of strength, Karone burst through the portal, Toby and the two rangers at their heels. It closed behind them just in time to keep the quantrons from persuing.  
  
****  
  
Great was the astoinshment of the waiting crowd when Karone came stumbling through the portal, carrying a limp Tami. Both were soaked in their blood and obviously suffering from shock. Tami was unconscious still, a ghastly white as all her lifeblood drained from her body, and Karone faring little better.  
  
Toby was next, limping, scratched and bruised, blood staining the side of his tunic, though not as severely. His black hair was a mess and his golden eyes wide and wary, full of fear as he stared at his sister, limp and unresponsive and taking on the color of a corpse.  
  
The two rangers came bursting through, and wildly motioned for the portal to be closed. Sharie was nowhere in sight.  
  
Trey was too shocked to think, he just moved, taking a very limp Tami from Karone's arms just before she collapsed, her tunic soaked a nauseating shade of red-orange from the bloodstains mixing with the tunic colors, the telltale markings spreading ever-wide as her shoulder wound gushed fluid.  
  
Andros, his face a mask of fear, caught her before she hit the floor.  
  
"What happened?" he demanded of the rangers as he hefted her into his arms.  
  
"They were being attacked by quantrons," said Shayla.  
  
Karone was just barely awake. "Ambush," she squeaked. "Quantrons....took Sharie....hurt...the twins..." she lost consciousness at last, the darkness sliding in and claiming her tortured senses with a roaring finality.  
  
Trey was already headed down the hall towards the medical bay, Tami in his arms. He fought for control of his mind, but it was whirling. Ambush! So they *had* been after Sharie after all. Whatever for? Why? HIs brain screamed these questions, warring with his concern for the child in his arms. She was a bloody mess, blood running down the side of her face and soaking her tunic top, and her tunic legs also soaked in blood from a leg wound, a deep one. It was even rapidly soaking his tunic, but he didn't care--her safety was foremost, before she bled to death. He could tell that nothing but medical intervention would staunch the flow of blood.  
  
He hustled her into the Medical bay, where DECA had three patient beds waiting.  
  
Alpha was also waiting. "Ay-yi-yi," he mused. "I have the duplicated blood ready. They need transfusions, and fast, from the looks of things."  
  
"Thanks, Alpha," said Trey weakly. "I can't seem to think much right now."  
  
And it was very true. Damn, why him? Why *her*? He had heard a phrase once, he had since learned to be very true: "While some feast on the pleasures of life, others get the indigestion." Well, it seemed he and Sharie always got the acid reflux! His eyes burned, but he fought it back, as usual. And, as usual, it was not the time or the place as he worked ferverently over Tami, stabalizing her and closing her wounds to prevent infetion.  
  
Karone lay on her pallet like a corpse, and Andros could not hide his fear. Toby looked stricken, and certainly upset. The sight of his blood-soaked sister was just about all he could tolerate right about now, and he could hardly sign the story for the benefit of the others.  
  
"Why were they after her alone?" he signed impatiently. "I would understand them being after Karone, after all, she betrayed them. Why Sharie? What could she have that they could possibly want or use?"  
  
"Her powers, maybe?" suggested Ashley. "She has powerful mental abilities, too."  
  
"She would rather kill herself than serve the dark side," said Cassie bluntly, then frowned at Trey's wince. She had forgotten. "Sorry, but it's true. She's told me as such. And you know how she is. Once she sets her mind to something, there's no stopping her. She's too damn stubborn. With someone like her, I hate to admit this, but it's a trait she could do without."  
  
For once, Trey did not seemed inclined to disagree.  
  
"Karone saved us," Toby continued with trembling gestures that did not quite hide his distress. "We would not be alive if it wasn't for her. Even when Tami was...shot..." his fingers wavered over the word. "she did her best to protect us. She picked Tami up and contined on with her. None of this was her fault. Sharie stopped most of the quantrons from coming too close, otherwise we would have been at their mercy. She threw herself in front of them--that's when she was taken."  
  
"A Zeo Warrior costume," mused Andros, barely brightening through his moody gaze. "Sharie thinks of everything, doesn't she? Except for her own stubborness about getting killed or not."  
  
Before things could get any more depressed, Karone gave a faint moan, her eyelids fluttering. Her fair face furrowed in pain, and her hand came up reflexively to cover her injured shoulder, now covered with a dermal regenerator.  
  
Her pain-ravaged eyes blinked and wearily opened, to meet the twin hazel orbs of her brother.  
  
"Karone," he said softly, in obvious relief. "You're awake."  
  
She pushed away his hand. "Toby...Tami...?" she whispered.  
  
"They'll be all right," he assured her quickly.  
  
"But Sharie....Oh, Andros!" Karone choked on a sob. Gently, Andros eased her up into his embrace, the first time he had ever held her like this. "It isn't fair to her!" she wailed. "I truly fear for her safety in the hands of Dark Spectre! I...this is my fault somehow, it has to be!"  
  
"Of course not, don't be silly," he assured her. "But do you..." he hesistated. "Do you have any idea why Dark Spectre could want her? Why she would be taken, and not you?"  
  
"He might plan revenge on me soon enough," she said bitterly. "But Sharie.....Dark Spectre considers her a threat. A big one. But he also admires the powers she weilds, and her unusual mental abilities. Maybe even her knowlege of the uinverse--he said she knows too much to not be well-traveled. There are even rumors of Zords in her possession that are powerful enough to destroy entire galaxies with ease. I hate to say this, but he did more than once open up the possibility of her joining the dark side as a valuable addition."  
  
"Sharie would *never* join the dark side willingly!" Trey suddenly burst, horrified.  
  
Karone snorted. "You don't know Dark Spectre, then. He has ways to....persuade, shall we say? By the way, are rumors of those legendary zords true? That always seemed to be a major factor with Dark Spectre."  
  
She was unsurprised when Trey flatly refused to answer that question. "Anyways, Dark Spectre would use any means necessary to coerce her to his side...even an evil spell, an unshatterable one."  
  
Trey firmly shook his head. "I don't understand the full depths of Sharie's control, but I know she's trained herself to resist the most powerful of evil spells. I do not see how Dark Spectre could succeed that way."  
  
"Surely she's not trained herself against every form of evil spell imaginable," countered Karone, visibly calmer now. "That would be impossible. Dark Spectre will find a way to subdue her. It's one of his specialties. Just don't underestimate him. We pull any stupid mistakes while rescuing her, he won't hesistate to make her pay. And if we don't--I fear she may even become my replacement."  
  
****  
  
The quantrons, meanwhile, hauled a battered young Triforian female onboard the Dark Fortress, where she soon found herself on the bridge and Darkonda. A viewscreen was activated, showing Dark Spectre as well.  
  
"Well, well," sneered Darkonda. "So we meet again, my pretty violet menace."  
  
If looks could commit murder, the look Sharie gave him would have taken all the rest of Darkonda's lives at once.  
  
He laughed.  
  
"Why so glum, m'dear? We have a fantastic offer of a lifetime for you! A dream come true...or nightmare, whatever you chose to call it. And, above all, you will take it, no matter what!" He made it sound as if were one big treat.  
  
Sharie did not look amused. "What are you talking about, cactus reject? I won't accept any offers from you, or are you too dense to realize that yet?"  
  
He gave a mock salute. "I applaude your pride and bravery, child, but it's useless. You *are* to be given the opportunity of a lifetime, though. What I am saying, Triforian Princess, is that you will be given a prestigous position in the Evil Alliance, and lots of power."  
  
Before Sharie could phrase a reply, much less believe her ears, Dark Spectre's voice rumbled into the room. "Of course, you will be answering to *me* in the process," he intoned in that sickening all-superior air of his. "But you will have anything you desire laying right at your feet, everyone obeying what you say instantly."  
  
Sharie crossed her bruised arms. Just how dense were these people? Sometimes their stupidity warranted the notion of how they could be so dangerous if they lacked so many brains. "I would never join you, and surely after all this time, you would know that. Why are you even bothering to do this?"  
  
"Because, child, I have wanted you as part of my service for some time now," snapped Dark Spectre. "But Dark Dresden had to be stubborn and refused to hand you over. As a result, your precious Karone became Astronema, and not you."  
  
This shocked Sharie to her toes. "Why me?"  
  
"It's quite simple, really," Dark Spectre sounded like he were explaining this to a small child. "Those years ago, I looked for someone young, with powerful mental abilities. I wanted them young so I could easily mold them to the Dark Side without them remembering thier former life, or caring. The mental abilities would serve me well. I searched around, and it seemed a certain Dark Dresden had just such a child in his posession--a world's princess, to boot. How appropriate for a Princess of Evil," he cackled. Sharie only glared at him, her eyes not betraying a horrified comprehension that was beginning to dawn on her.  
  
"So, child, I hired Darkdona to try and pull the 'ol bargain-hunting technique. He kidnapped Karone and attempted to exchange her for you. Of course, that sicko Dresden refused to cooperate. If he had, your position and hers would well have been reversed, don'cha know?" Dark Dresden's hideous laugh rang throughout the bridge and almost slammed in Sharie's stomach, making her nauseated.  
  
"And now, my dear, I finally have you--and you have even a few more appealing qualities to boot. Your powers, your legendary zords that I am sure do exist, and you just aren't talking about them, am I right? Well, we'll change that soon enough. And I believe that you are well-traveled and certainly aren't dumb, which will be added assets to your position. By now, even your friends aren't totally ignroant of the universe, are they? Your replutation as a warrior has preceeded you, so I won't go there. It would be nice to get a whole team of rangers under my thumb," he mused suddenly, "But that's out of the question--for now. You will have to do, and rest assured, you *will* become a part of us!"  
  
"You want my powers?" Sharie snorted. "I can't give them to someone evil. I won't help you any other way, either. So just kill me now or let me go."  
  
"Unfortunately for you, neither are an option, princess. I figured you would not willingly join us anyway, so an evil spell is in order to change your mind--no, don't protest. I know of your powerful and resisting mental tricks. But this one is from so far away I doubt you have even heard of it. It will certainly test your limits, child. Typically, I have no doubt you may struggle with it taking over your mind, for a time, but you will eventually exhaust yourself and allow it to take over completely. Then you will willingly serve me."  
  
"Ha!" she challenged. "And my powers? Did you even know they can't be used by evil forces? If the Zeo Energy even senses me messing or under the influence of evil spells, they will deadlock and refuse to work. Slip right into hyperspace until they were satisifed that their user isn't under the conrol of the dark forces. Should I join you willingly, they would debunk on me."  
  
He did not seem as fazed as she had hoped to make him. "Well, then, once you are fully situated, we can see about working around that. The phrase "where there's a will, there's a way" does not stand on quicksand, you know." Sharie's eyes widened and she gave a soundless gasp as Dark Spectre ordered, "Prepare the spell!"  
  
She began to struggle again in earnest. "No! I refuse to betray my friends or family!"  
  
"In the end, you won't even think about it, my dear Triforian Traitor-to- be," sneered Darkonda. "It will be rough going. It would be easier on you if you just let the spell settle into your mind. Either way, you have no choice. It will win out in the end."  
  
All that escaped from her lips was a snarl.  
  
"By the way," said Dark Spectre calmly as two robed monsters came forward and held her fast. "You might like to know I am planning a large-scale assault on your ranger friends. By the time the spell is situated in your head, they will be captured and in the torture chambers. Hope you enjoy it."  
  
His evil laughter mocked her in a sickening fashion as she struggled, the robed assistants holding her firmly down and shackling her to the wall. Hands clamped her throat and forehead, forcing it to stillness.  
  
The lights went out, and an eerie silence came over the room. Only the rapid rush of Sharie's breathing was to be heard, and all she could see were the vague shadows of her captors and the image of Dark Spectre on the viewscreen.  
  
Sharie's heart pounded, and ice ran up her spine like never before. Momentarily, she forced her eyes closed, rallying all her mental defenses and training. She understood, now in this somber, chilling setting, that she was going to need every defense to even hold the spell off for a short time. Was it this hopeless?  
  
Darkonda, out of nowhere, brought forth a strange staff. It was as tall as he was, thick wood with a vine twisting it's way up the staff in a most unbecoming fashion. Sharie felt sick when she saw what was resting at the top of the staff--a skull, a hideous, and very real skull!  
  
The mouth was open, and bloodstains were evident on the jaws and teeth. Strange ember-like stones were wedged into the eyesockets, and they glowed with a sinister light. A hole had been smashed into the forehead, and a purple stone was glowing evilly where it rested there.  
  
The hands holding her by the throat and forehead tightened, and suddenly Sharie could barely breathe. The fingers of two hands deliberately tightened over her larnyx, almost completely cutting off her air supply. Briefly, she wondered if they suddenly meant to kill her instead.  
  
Darkonda came forward with the staff, his eyes glowing the same evil red as the embers embedded in the skull's sockets. With an evil cackle, he raised the staff and thumped it loudly on the floor, three times.  
  
"You will obey!" he hissed, thumping the staff on the floor each time. You will obey! YOU WILL OBEY!!!  
  
Each thump of the staff increased the rapid tattoo of Sharie's heart. Her whole life flashed before her eyes at that moment, and she was sure she was never going to live that life again.  
  
The glowing embers in the skull's eyes brightened further, and out of the corners of her eyes, Sharie was vaguely aware of the eyes of the monsters holding her began to glow with the same eerie light. The violet stone in the middle of the skull's forehead began, too, to burn with a sinister light.  
  
"Ho, halatoya, ho, hopiheyeada," Darkonda began to chant softly, moving into a strange tongue Sharie indeed did not understand. The nature of the spell was unfamiliar to her in general, and she knew that this was bad news for her, if she would have no idea how to battle off such a spell she knew nothing of the likes of, not even distantly.  
  
He began to chant faster and faster, and Dark Spectre joined him. With each incantation, he thumped the skull louder.  
  
"Hopiheyeada! Hopiheyeada! *HOPIHEYEADA!!!*"Darkdona's shrieks reached a frantic chant.  
  
Sharie's cry came out a strangled sound as the hands clamping her larnyx pressed even further, cutting off her air supply completely. As the dizziness closed in, the violet stone in the skull gave out an eerie mist. They entered Sharie's purple eyes and settled there, preparing to wage war with her brain, already half shut-down from oxygen deprivation. Even as her mind rallied against the foreign invasion, Sharie lost consciousness from the lack of oxygen.  
  
"Release her!" snapped Darkonda, laughing, as the monsters removed their hands from Sharie's throat just in time. "I think we have victory, Dark Spectre!"  
  
"We'll see," warned the evil monarch. "The wrench is clever, Darkonda. We must make sure she does not escape or decieve us. Take her to Astronema's quarters for now, and let her fight it out. She'll struggle, for I have no doubt she won't go down without a fight. What's worse, for her, that is, the spell is a vicious one. She has no way of winning."  
  
Even as he spoke, and Darkonda had Sharie in his arms, she began to jerk and flail her slender arms as if she was posessed by a demon. Insane shrieks ripped from her throat, and her nails found his chest and clawed him maddeningly.  
  
"Ouch!" cried Darkonda, then smiled viciously. "All the better to kill you with, my dear," he mused. "She's struggling against it already. I'll just dump her on Astroenma's bed. She can claw herself to ribbons there."  
  
He carried the wildly screaming girl into Astronema's former room. By the time he got to the bed, she had clawed him savagely twice more, but he barely winced, only laughing in triumph.  
  
"Ah, my little Triforian brat, you remember how you swore up and down not to be submissive to me? Well, looks like I won. Ha, ha haaaa!!!"  
  
Without ceremony, he dropped her shivering form on the bed. For a moment, she fell silent, her purple eyes unseeing. He turned and left her just in time to prevent another of her shrieks from hurling at her back. He gave a parody of a smile. Let her scream. She would soon realize that she just couldn't win.  
  
****  
  
"*NO!!!*" Trey's strangled cry of pain shocked everyone in the medical bay. His hands had flown to his ears, and tears, more of shock than anything, were streaming down his face.  
  
"What is it?" Cried Andros in alarm, rising from his chair.  
  
"It's Sharie!" he ground out in an anguished whisper. "Her mind--it's under attack!" His face very suddenly went white and changed to one of total horror. "Oh, no!"  
  
Carlos, too, felt it Trey even voiced it. The faint thread of Sharie in his mind, his awareness of her, suddenly snapped with such force it almost sent him reeling. He felt as if his heart had been ripped out of of his chest, leaving only cold, empty space.  
  
His eyes, suddenly tortured, met Trey's in terrified comprehension.  
  
"Only two things can cause what we just felt," Trey ground out. "Either she's deliberately turned her back on us and does not care anymore--or she's dead."  
  
It was said point-blank.  
  
"He's really done it, then!" wailed Karone. "Dark Spectre has succeded. Either he's killed her--or she no longer wants anything to do with us because she's his pawn. It has to be hopeless, guys. She's probably lost to us forever!"  
  
****  
  
"Next order of buisness," mused Dark Spectre. "The attack on the Megaship, while all the rest of them are in one place."  
  
"What of Karone?" asked Darkonda.  
  
"If she croaks with the rest, so be it. I plan to have all the rangers captured, anyways, so we'll get her back."  
  
"What about the twin brats? They're not of much use to us."  
  
"I don't care much for the children," Snapped Dark Spectre. "They probably are still young enough to be swayed to the dark side with little trouble. We need not torture them, they aren't really rangers. Those puny Zeo Warrior powers were hardly a match for our quantrons, right? Besides, there is little point in torturing children--especially deaf ones. If Karone gets captured, well, a bonus, we'll take care of her then. But let's get it over with. I am certain that by the time Sharie quits struggling aganist the spell, all the rangers will be captured, and we can certainly judge her reaction then, when she sees them being tortured!"  
  
****  
  
"She has to be on board the Dark Fortress," whispered Karone. "This is so unfair! By the time you reach her, if ever, she will be so warped you won't recognize her--all she'll be is a shell of whom she formerly was. She'll seeth with hatred and evil." She ventured forth the only partial solution she could think of.  
  
"Guys, you know this is my fault, stop pretending it isn't. Perhaps....they'll let her go...they want me anyways...a prisoner exchange...."  
  
She jumped when Trey and Andros simultaneously barked "NO!"  
  
At her stricken look, Andros repeated the word more gently. "No, Karone. Dark Spectre would never keep his word in such a matter, and we all know it. On top of it, I would never let you try such a stupid stunt, Karone. Not after I've spent my life searching high and low for you, when you were right under my nose all this time, and my worst enemy. No! Never again!"  
  
"Andros is right,"whispered Trey, his eyes veiled and not showing any emotion whatsoever. "I don't want to see either of you put through that again, especially in a plan that would come to naught. We must think of something else...."  
  
****  
  
Sharie wondered if this torture was worse than anything she could ever before remember. Being trapped in that other dimension when she had been tortured there had been nothing compared to this.  
  
The spell was an evil entitiy just too eager to merge with her own mind and warp her to somebody heartless and cruel. And when it discovered that she was resisting so, it set about to dredge up the most horrific memories of her past and fling them into her face, and to periodically set her brain on fire with powerful energy impulses.  
  
*Give up, you weak, foolish little girl!* It snarled. *You can't outfox me, so why even try? Just stop resisting me, and you won't feel any more pain!*  
  
Her mental image of "it" dabbed a parody of a dagger into her flesh, and she screamed again as her whole body quivered with fire.  
  
*Never!* her voice echoed in the valley of her own thoughts. *I will never give in to the likes of you! Begone!*  
  
*Ha! Foolish child! Thinks she's so big and mighty. Well, we'll see about that!*  
  
"it" snapped it's fingers, and out of nowhere, a ghost of Dark Dresden appeared, inadvertently causing a wave of fear to come over Sharie. The evil entity smiled, he had finally gotten a real response from her.  
  
*Remember him?* "it" taunted. *He threatened to rape you when you got old enough. Either give in, or realize one of your worst nightmares.*  
  
Dark Dresden's cold blue eyes bored icily into hers, burning only with lust.  
  
*Never!*  
  
*Better listen to him, Missy,* said the spectre of Dark Dresden, coming forward and grabbing her by her shirt in her mind. *Or your pretty flesh will be invaded tonight--by me!*  
  
*Do it, if you dare!* she challenged. *I won't give in!*  
  
The spectre of Dark Dresden hmmphed and threw her to the ground, covering her struggling body with his. She could feel his arousal pressing insistently against her stomach as she quivered with disgust and fear beneath her, and the horror of it echoed sharply through to the last time he'd touched her and threatened her with rape, just a few months before.....  
  
*This is all in my mind!* she yelled. *You aren't really going to rape me!* It was everything she could do not to give in to her sheer terror.  
  
*How can you be so certain that I am really dead?* Dark Dresden mocked her. *Maybe this is the true reality, and your so-called life as a Triforian Princess was the dream, the horrid little illusion.* Her shirtsleeve tore under his fingers, and his other hand fumbled with the waistband of her shorts, trying to get inside. *What shall it be? Submitting, or I ravage you?*  
  
*Never!* Sharie struggled beneath him, her terror suddenly spurrning her into action. Her "knee" came flying upwards, catching him square in the groin. He howled in pain, and dissolved.  
  
Sharie stood up, her mental "clothes" in shreds.  
  
*Stubborn little witch, are you?* snarled the demon. He stabbed her mind again, and she screamed, sinking down.  
  
*You have a head full of horrible memories of times past,* continued "it". *Why don't we take a walk through memory lane? Remember hearing of the Emotional Wrangler that almost took the sanity of your friends Ashley and Andros? Well, I am hundreds of times worse than that!*  
  
Before it was over, "it" would more than prove his words right.  
  
****  
  
Ecliptor sighed in frustration as he heard the tortured screams of Sharie in the next room. He could not help but hear her, for his room was strajetically placed next to hers so he could hear anything suspicious that had ever gone on in Astronema's quarters. So he could hear every terrified cry, and know the poor child was fighting for her very sanity.  
  
Sharie continued to thrash, desperately trying to fight off the evil menace that was threatening to wrap it's icy-cold fingers around her very soul, the core of her being.  
  
Ecliptor pounded his sore fist on the floor, wishing he could help the girl's struggle but knowing that there was nothing he could do. He did not know how, or even if, the spell could be removed. If he could, he would help her in any way possible....even on the rare chance she beat the spell off in time to save her sanity and her soul. It was probably her only real chance.  
  
****  
  
The attack on the rangers came as a complete surprise.  
  
Within no time at all, it seemed, the Megaship was being swarmed with invaders.  
  
"Karone!" cried Andros. "You must get the twins to safety. There is a secret shuttlepod two decks below. DECA will show you the way. Aquitar isn't too far away, so get help as quickly as you can, and get the children out of here."  
  
"But--"  
  
"Go! We'll be okay. You and the twins at all costs must not fall back into Dark Spectre's trap. Get the twins to safety and get out of here!"  
  
****  
  
Sharie gave one final, agonized shriek that curled against the walls. In her mind, she had "it" by the throat, and was holding a dagger to him.  
  
"Never again, you bastard," she hissed, not caring anymore as she plunged the dagger home, shattering his hold on her mind for all time. Without realizing it, a purple mist lifted from her eyes, and dissolved above her head.  
  
Finally, she fell silent. Total lack of sound became her world, except for her ragged breathing. Was she alive? Was she even sane? She was so exhausted she never wanted to move again. Never before had she encountered such a spell, and she had never thought that, even for her, she had the reserves necessary to defeat him. But she had.  
  
*Why do I continue to put up wih this, day after day? Is my life nothing more than one big torture round that never quite breaks me, but never quits tormenting me?* Tears burned at the back of her eyes as she turned onto her stomach, still fighting off the horrible effects the monster had burned into her skull with his torture. For a brief moment, she wished the "dagger" she had used to kill the entity were real. It was the only way she could think of to end this nightmare--but she backed off quickly from the thought. Nothing would ever push her to that cowardice--she hoped.  
  
Now what? She was in some sort of room, though it was dark. She was exhasted, but her mind was clear again at last. So she still had to be sane, despite her brief thoughts of suicide just to end the pain. The dim outline of unmoving stars told her she was onboard a space station, probably the Dark Fortress, where she last really remembered being.  
  
Why was she here? Probably she had been dumped here until she would have supposedly quit fighting the spell and let it take over her mind. Instead, she had destroyed it, at a great emotional cost.  
  
Instinctively, she knew things would go worse for her if she let on that she had beaten the spell. An idea formed in her mind, vaguely, but she knew suddenly what she had to do.  
  
She shuddered at the thought, though. Could she really fake being evil? Pretend the spell had worked? Somehow, she sensed that the only way she was going to get out of this horrid mess alive was to fake it. Pretend to be cold, hard, and rutheless.  
  
But could she do it? The spell had come so close to taking over her heart, mind, and very *soul* she was certain she could manage. It had left her with *that* strong a sense of evil that still echoed in her very being. But what if she was asked to prove herself? Hurt somebody else--even kill? What if...what if...?  
  
Her mind whirled, and she suddenly felt dizzy. Her purple eyes, clouded this time only by emotional turmoil and exhaustion, closed, and before she could think any more, her exhaustion-numbled body slipped into unconsciousness.  
  
****  
  
Ecliptor heard the last muffled shriek from the next room, and the eerie silence that followed.  
  
*So, that's it,* he thought. It was over. Either Sharie was now completely evil, or she had--he doubted--banished the spell completely. There could be no middle ground.  
  
Either way, she might not be happy to discover that, while she had been fighting her own personal battle, the other rangers had indeed been captured.  
  
They were even now below, being tortured at intervals, he sensed it. Only three had managed to slip through the enemy lines--somehow, when the Megaship was searched, no sign of Karone or the twins Toby and Tami were to be found. A shuttlepod was missing, it was obvious they had escaped the madness. For once, Ecliptor hoped they went and got help. This madness had to end.  
  
An hour or so later, he heard Sharie begin to omniously cry out again. He frowned. She could not be still battling the spell; it would not have permitted her to remain still for so long. On silent feet, he got up and limped into the next room, and, standing in the shadows, he silently watched her.  
  
Her small frame was shaking again, but with sobs. She was not battling the spell; he could tell that right off. It was a nightmare.  
  
*The Dryseran warrior Trey was battling knocked her brother down, and laughed triumphantly as he raised his knife. Five-year-old Sharie cried out as she saw the dagger plunge into Trey's chest, blood spurting forth so his tunic was soaked in seconds....*  
  
She started to thrash around in her sleep, and began to call for her brother as she struggled against an unseen assailent. She begged for her brother to see her, and that Dark Dresden had her....  
  
In the blink of an eye, Ecliptor knew the truth: She had, somehow, banished the spell from her mind. It was the only reason, or she would not carry on like this. Such a spell, had it worked, sould even have had an edge on her dreams. She would not have had such a dream to which she professed caring about her brother--would she? He doubted it.  
  
Then, if she had shattered the spell, he briefly wondered why she had not attempted to flee, then quickly discounted the idea as foolish. She would not have gotten anywhere, and he knew she knew it also. Her powers would have deadlocked into hyperspace the instant the spell started to affect her, so she did not have access to them. She would have been discovered and killed otherwise.  
  
Fake it, maybe? The thought was so outrageous that he almost discounted it, then paused and looked at the crying girl again. She was silent again, but shaking with quiet sobs of immense pain.  
  
No. Maybe not so impossible. Sharie was smart, and she was a master of her emotions if she really wanted to be, even if lately they'd been ripped from stem to stern. Her ability to hide what she felt if she really wanted to was a rallying point for her. And after experiencing a spell like that, she would be easily able to fake it, he reasoned. She'd had enough exposure to warrant it, certainly. Especially if a side like the one he was seeing now only came out in her dreams. What he had seen of her before had been a battle-hardened warrior on the battlefield.  
  
If he could have, he would have chewed his lip as he surveyed his decisions. It was not right that she be kept here. Her friends were in danger, and so was his Astronema. They were her chance for her future happiness, for he understood now that she would never again willingly return to the dark side.  
  
All at once, Ecliptor knew he had to help the Triforian girl somehow. It was....it was only right. At one time, he would have been shocked at himself for such a thought, but he had been changing of late....but how to convince her?  
  
****  
  
Sharie gave another muffled shriek and sat bolt upright, her purple eyes wild with terror. She did not utter a sound. Nor did she see Ecliptor standing in the shadows.  
  
With a ragged gasp, she buried her face in her knees, drawing them up to her chest, trying to control her tears. For, if anyone here were to see her cry, it would mean her death. She also berated herself for such lack of self-control in the first place. If someone had heard her...  
  
Ecliptor chose that exact moment to make himself known. "Do not cry, Triforian Princess. I shall help you."  
  
Sharie gasped, straightening her spine and jerking around to look at him, instant coldness blaring in her eyes as she forced anger into her mind. It wasn't that hard, considering how she had been lately.  
  
"What do you want?" she hissed, an edge to her tone that she privately hoped would send shivers up his checkered spine.  
  
Her eyes were so empty of any feeling but anger Ecliptor was startled. Could he have been wrong? Was she under the influence of the spell after all?  
  
"I said I would help you." He repeated it carefully, on guard just in case.  
  
She snorted. "You? Yeah, right. How could you?"  
  
Surely this was some test. Ecliptor, of all people, help *her*?  
  
Ecliptor decided to go ahead and gamble that she was indeed faking it, although now he wasn't so sure. If she was, he was right about her being a master of her emotions if she really wanted to.  
  
"First of all, I am to be your advisor. Second of all, you should know what has happened while you were...occupied." He carefully gauged her reaction. "The whole group of lightstar rangers and your brother and aunt were captured. The only ones who escaped were Karone and the twins."  
  
"Oh, really?"Sharie's tone was harsh and uncaring, but by staring intently into her eyes, Ecliptor caught just the *barest* flicker of deeper emotion. Most would have missed it, but that flicker was enough to tell him the truth: she was cleverly faking it all.  
  
Her next words, delivered in the same bored tone, confirmed it. "Where are they, as if I really care right about now? Do they live, or has Dark Spectre shiskebobed them?"  
  
"They are prisoners." Ecliptor was impressed: She was *good*. But she was not backing down in the face of his sincerity, either, and he had to convince her of his good intentions.  
  
He heaved a painful sigh. "You can drop your defenses around me, Sharie. I know you are faking being evil. I will be swift to assure you, however, I have no intention of letting anybody know this. I will help you any way I can."  
  
Sharie's still eyes bored into his black ones unrelentingly. Ecliptor felt the delicate mind brush as she sought the truth from him--testing him to see if he was truthful of his intents. She must have sensed his sincerity, for at last, her defenses dropped--just barely.  
  
"Why?" she whispered hoarsely, more of her pain now evident in her tone. "Why would you help me?"  
  
"Because this whole facade is wrong. Because I've changed. And I am doing this for both you and Karone. If you are to survive and get your loved ones out of here alive, I must tell you right now that you must keep up the evil act. To slip up once would no doubt mean your life.  
  
"You are good--you convinced *me* at first that you were actually under the spell. Control, and I mean stringently *control*, what comes into your eyes. Darkonda will be watching you at all times. You must be cold, calcualting, and unmerciful....just short of killing your friends. You may even have to arrange to have them....hurt, before you can escape."  
  
Ecliptor did not look at her as he said this. She had to be aware of the dangers, and he suspected she already was. Still it had to be voiced aloud.  
  
"I can't!" she whispered. "That would be betraying them!"  
  
Oh, she knew, but she didn't want to accept it. He turned sharply back to her, and the deadly bleak look in his eyes drove straight into her heart, piercing her there with each word.  
  
"You must, or they will die! I do not lie to you! You must listen and believe me when I emphasize this--don't let on to *any* of Dark Spectre's subordinantes that you overcame the spell. If they don't kill you, they'd just torture you, kill your friends anyway, and find some other way to breach your defenses and make you evil. I seriously doubt if you want that- -I heard your screams all night."  
  
Though it twisted Sharie's insides, she knew she had to agree with her unexpected ally. If things were as bad as he said, then getting everyone out alive would be dangerous.  
  
She hoped that banking on his feelings for Karone and what the goodness in him, so long buried, had done to him now, was not a foolish idea, but she saw no other alternative.  
  
Sharie nodded wearily as she glanced at the clock--it was five in the morning already.  
  
At least she could get up without an excuse.  
  
"One other thing," she hissed, not even faking it this time. "I don't want my friends knowing that I am faking, either--not even Trey. They would be killed anyways if the wrong person found out. They, too, must think I am evil."  
  
She did not add anything else, but Ecliptor agreed with her reasoning, even though he knew it was going to tear her heart out, and at least her brother's, to act as if she had betrayed them.  
  
When Darkonda sauntered in, Sharie immediately dropped every single nuance of feeling from her face and eyes, putting her stringent control to the test as she turned to face him. She gave him a parody of a sadistic grin, but left her eyes empty. He matched the sickening smile as he walked around her, studying her from every angle.  
  
"Who do you serve?" he demanded.  
  
"I live to serve Dark Spectre," she answered coldly. He studied her eyes, but he himself had almost no telepathic ability, and she would never let him in in any case. But there was nothing about her that said otherwise.  
  
Her eyes were empty pools of nothingness, only reflected his image back at him. Utterly impenetrable, and her posture had a bored air.  
  
*I'd do great in Hollywood, I think.*  
  
Darkonda seemed inclined to be convinced--for now. But Dark Spectre would want more than just that to affirm her loyalty. Ho, boy, what fun he'd have.....  
  
"Hm. You act evil enough. Get dressed. Clothes in the closet. Meet me outside when you are done."  
  
He had not yet left when she pulled the closet doors open.  
  
"Forget it!" she shrieked at the top of her lungs. It was a reaction she hardly had to fake. "I may be evil now but I still have my pride! I doubt even your precious Astronema wore such revealing clothes! I won't dress like such a--a...."  
  
She held up a set of leather bikini tops, thongs, and hip-high leather boots with studded silver spikes to prove her point, and her amethyst eyes flared angrily at him.  
  
It convinced Darkonda well enough. "Then don't!" he snapped back. "Dark Spectre thought they'd look good on you."  
  
"I'm to *serve* him, you cactus nightmare! But certainly not in any lewd capacity like this!!!"  
  
He looked amused. Actually, he'd liked to have seen her in them, too-- Astronemea never would dress like that--but Sharie's reluctance probably stemmed from her past with Dark Dresden. For that he could not fault her, and he doubted any evil spell would have touched on an issue like that.  
  
"What you would find in the computer, though, won't be much better--they're still set to Astronema's styles," he warned her.  
  
He turned and stomped out of the room.  
  
It took awhile for Sharie to come up with an outfit she would even consider wearing, and yet would reflect her new station. She picked out a black, spandex bodysuit. Thin black leather, though, was covering her breasts and abdominal area, and her upper arms. A filmy purple skirt, the kind you tie around your waist and with a huge slit up the side, that you can see through, was tied around her waist and showed her spandex-clad legs. Black slippers were on her feet, and a black-and-purple headband kept her hair off her face. Black leather gloves. A couple of gold bracelets and dagger earrings completed the outfit. The only thing she would not remove in any case was the locket she wore. Honestly, she couldn't figure what difference it would have made--in this outfit, it took on a whole new effect.  
  
Sharie looked in the mirror and cringed, hating it. It made her look dangerous, and would reflect the right image--but it wasn't her. It was who she was supposed to pretend to be.  
  
An evil woman who reveled in the pain of others and commanded, others obeying without question.  
  
She sighed again. At least the outfit would not impede her in battle, and made her look intimidating. It would have to do.  
  
"About time," grumbled Darkonda when she came sauntering out, careful to pattern her walk more like Astronema's had been--at least as well as she could, considering she refused to wear high heels, either, altering the walk just enough so she did not look like a strutting, idiotic peacock.  
  
"I didn't ask you, now did I?" Sharie sounded falsely sweet. "Now, what do you want with me?"  
  
He snorted. "I am to test your reflexes and your fighting skills. You must never go about without some type of weapon for protection, you know. We'll find what suits you best."  
  
Actually, Sharie mused as she fought, she wondered if this would not be the sole part of this mess she'd enjoy. Not because she was fighting, but because it gave her an excuse to pound Darkonda to a pulp under the guise of training exercises. And she indeed pounded into him with her whole being, letting off a little of her frustration in the process.  
  
"Damn you!" he spat when she flipped him yet again and drove the heel of her foot square into his solar plexus. He coughed and sat up, wheezing.  
  
"Okay, okay, so I'm impressed." Groaning, he made his way to his feet, not liking her superior smirk. Of course, she'd always defeated him on the battlefield, why should he be surprised? All her skills were intact, after all, spell or no.  
  
"I should kill you anyways," she snarled, the smirk fading. "For you have messed up my life. Not because of what you did, but because of the simple fact you have wrong me in the past." A sadistic grin that she hardly bothered to falsify curled her lips, not a smirk, but a truly evil, cheshire grin. "Only because Dark Dresden wouldn't quite like it stays my hand even now."  
  
She raised her gloved fist threateningly, and to her own horror, half-meant her words.  
  
"Whatever." he waved her words impatiently away. "The weapon that seems to suit you best, out of our selection, is the bo staff. I have never seen anybody else weild a knife like you can, so keep one on you at all times. Now, it's time to take you on a tour of the Dark Fortress." *Before she kills me and enjoys it.....*  
  
The way he said "tour" sent off a silent alarm in Sharie's brain. Something about it wasn't right; she smelled a test coming. What she feared--and somehow knew would be done--was that she would eventually be taken to the prisoner area. Ecliptor had already said the other rangers were being held there. She had little doubt they would be tortured right before her eyes, to judge her reaction--and she must steel herself to act as if she did not care, or even *enjoyed* watching this sort of thing. She would have to convince everyone she did not care about them anymore at all, and relished her new position...while figuring out some way to get them out alive. The chances were likely they would hate her for the rest of her life, or at least have a hard time forgiving her for what she was about to do. It was a risk she would have to take.  
  
****  
  
Deep in space, the tiny, battered shuttlepod continued on it's now-quiet course for Aquitar.  
  
A throbbing pain jerked Karone from her unconscious state. Her mind was fuzzy, and she blinked, trying to remember where she was. She became vaguely aware of two small bodies pressed tightly against her, and sudden memory made her eyes jerk wide open.  
  
They were *alive*! They had been tracked, and twice fired upon. Two times she had eluded them, with the help of the Toby, who knew how to operate this thing better than she did. Tami had not awakened from her previous injuries in the jungle until after then, startled to find herself on a shuttlepod.  
  
All three were still battered and bruised, for not enough time had elapsed to heal their injuries. Tami and Karone had still been very weak, and Tami unable to walk. Now, after the third round of attacks, all three had sustained new injuries and the shuttlepod had rocked so hard, that just before she blacked out, Karone was certain that they would all be killed.  
  
Now, how or why they were alive and back on course was a mystery, but she was grateful for this particular mystery.  
  
Toby was curled beside her, still fully morphed in his Zeo Warrior costume. He was not awake; she frantically checked him over for new injuries.  
  
Tears stung her eyes, she was grateful he was alive. She frowned upon seeing some nasty burn marks on his lower arms, as if something very hot had burned right through his tunic. There was blood around one of his ankles, and he still wore a dermal regenerator on his side from where the one Quantron had shot him in the jungle. Not to mention the many cuts and bruises she saw on him.  
  
She sighed. This was one tough, stubborn kid. Really, she admired him and his ability to survive and not whack out on them. Most other children would have lost it by now.  
  
Tami was curled on her other side, as white as a ghost. She did not look good, and frantically Karone checked the child over for new injuries.  
  
Her leg wound from where she had been shot had reopened, for the generator had been torn off her in one of the past battles. At least it was not bleeding much, just slowly seeping and gaping open, and no infection seemed to have taken hold there as yet.  
  
The dermal regenerator on her head was still there, but functioning only at half power. Tami did not seem at first to have lost much more blood from what she had only begun to regain, until Karone felt a distinct dampness beneath her fingers as she touched the girl's side. She withdrew her hand; it was blood.  
  
*Oh, no!* Karone frantically turned the child over to examine the wound; it was fresh, but thank gods it was not bleeding profusely! She would have been dead by now if she had.  
  
*Is there a medical kit in this place?* Karone wondered as she rummaged through the overhead bin. Digging in, she found it, with the distinct Lightstar logo on it.  
  
Finding aintibacterial spray and gauze inside, Karone quickly sprayed the child's wound and pressed a clean cotton pad into place, then bound the wound with the guaze.  
  
*I am sorry, little one,* she thought at the unconscious girl. *I tried, I really did, to save you and make sure you did not get hurt. I guess...I guess I failed.*  
  
A faint moan brought her back from the verge of tears. Toby's golden eyes fluttered and opened. Karone sighed in relief, this time, as she pulled Tami's unconscious form into her lap.  
  
"Are you okay?" was the gesture she flashed in front of the boy's eyes.  
  
"Yeah," came is weak finger flutter. Suddenly she heard his rapid intake of breath, and his golden eyes that widened also looked frantically around. When he spied his sister's condition, and the gauze that now bound her middle, his face twisted. Without a gesture he turned and pounded his sore hands on the window.  
  
*That had to hurt,* Karone thought, knowing the boy was hiding his pain over the burns. The two tears that stole down his heart-shaped face were not for himself--he was supremely angry at his inability to keep Tami safe.  
  
"It isn't fair," he gestured indignantly. "She's always been the stronger of us. I've always known it. Does it mean she always has to be the one to get hurt because she protects me more than I do her?"  
  
"Hey, calm down," said Karone. "This wasn't your fault, and you know it. Neither of you could have prevented the other, or yourselves, from being hurt like this. You did your best, and be grateful you are alive. Personally," she smiled, "I think you are both very strong. How many kids your age can go through what you two have, and come out alive to talk about it? Tami's not dead, I think she will be all right if we can get to Aquitar soon enough."  
  
"I hope so," he gestured, before turning to the consoles.  
  
"Hey," she tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention again--with his head turned, he could not see her signs. "Those burns. Take care of them. I don't even know how you got them."  
  
"Electrical shock," he gestured, taking burn spray from the kit and spraying it on his lower arms. "Trying to hotwire us to go faster during the third attack. I did, and we lost them, but I got burned in the process and blacked out. Then I was waking up on the seat next to you."  
  
"I still don't get how you know these systems so well," said Karone, impressed.  
  
"Well..." he flushed. "Tami's the real mechanical expert, I just learned because I was stuck with Sharie babysitting us when we were younger. Growing up with her has taught us things most kids our age don't know."  
  
"You're doing just fine," Karone assured him as he ignored his burns further to poke a the controls, though she had no doubt they hurt terribly. "Any idea where we are?"  
  
"I....we're within a few lightyears of Aquitar!" he declared triumphantly. "Karone, get on the communication system! It's working, and we have to get help."  
  
"He was surprised when he saw *her* hesistate. "I...I wonder if they even know what happened on Utopa, and that I've changed. I worry about them believing me."  
  
"I will vouch for you, promise," said Toby, seeing out of the corner of his eye Tami begin to stir in Karone's lap. "Make that *we* will vouch for you."  
  
****  
  
Billy found himself distracted by the beeping of the comm system, registering a Lighstar logo for one of the Megaship's shuttlepods.  
  
"Hey, Delphine," he called across the room to the Aquitian ranger leader. "Take a look at this."  
  
He pointed to the readouts. "The shuttle that's hailing us--it looks like it's been to Hades and back. And the signal's priority one."  
  
"Then put them onscreen," said Delphine quickly. "They might have injured aboard."  
  
Cestria was the one who came up behind Billy and activated the system. She blinked in surprise at the disheviled face that was suddenly in front of her own.  
  
"A-astronema?" Cestria stammered in surprise. "How did you get--"  
  
"There's little time to explain," said Karone quickly. "You must believe me when I say I mean you no harm."  
  
Delphine came up behind Cestria. "Give us a good reason to believe you, and we will consider it."  
  
She blinked in acute surprise when, of all people, Toby Thoene's face appeared beside this altered Astronema. "I can vouch for her character," he said. "Guys, meet Karone--Andros's sister. The former Astronema, yes, but she's on our side now."  
  
"I...well...okay..." Delphine both gestured and said dumbly. "Can't disbelieve Sharie's cousin, now can I? How did you guys end up in there?"  
  
"It's a long story," sighed Karone. "We need use of your medical bays. All of us are injured, and Tami is really bad. I'll explain there."  
  
"We'll be ready."  
  
****  
  
Delphine stood nervously by as three being shimmered into existence. She could not disbelieve Toby, but there was still that faint chance.....goodness, things had happened that Trey had obviously not had a chance lately to tell her about!  
  
However, her nervousness was replaced by shock when she saw the condition of the three beings that were released from the teleportation field. Toby, obviously having difficulty standing up, was leaning heavily on a badly injured Karone. She looked like she was going to faint again, and her arms trembled as she struggled to support the weight of Tami, who looked the worst of all three--her Zeo Warrior tunic again soaked in her own blood, and the bandage covering the wound on her side now stained red as well.  
  
"Oh, my goodness!" exclaimed Delphine as she rushed forward to take Tami from Karone's arms just in time. Karone's knees buckled just as Delphine hefted the child from her.  
  
"Whoa, there, missy," said Billy as he rushed to catch her before she hit the floor. Over the boy's protests, Cestro came forward and firmly lifted him off a foot injury he had neglected to tell anybody about.  
  
"What the heck happened to you all?" asked Billy, as he guided Karone over to a biobed. "You look as if you escaped from the worst tortures imaginable."  
  
"It's a long story," murmured Karone weakly as Delphine rushed Tami to the biobed next to her. "The Megaship was under attack, and Andros made me take the twins and flee in the shuttlepod. We were fired upon several times as they attempted to track us, but we eluded them and made our way here. I beg of you to help us."  
  
"We will, but your injuries need tending," said Delphine, hooking an inravenous line into Tami to begin replacing her lost fluids. "You can tell us the story while we work."  
  
"First--Tami, will she be okay?"  
  
Delphine checked the readouts. "You got her to us in time, yes. She has lost an enormous amount of blood, but it wasn't enough to completely take her life--yet."  
  
****  
  
"Why don't you just tell us, already!" cried out Carlos in sheer frustration to the leering monster who was giving him the torture treatment. "What did you do with Sharie? You won't tell us a word!"  
  
"Wouldn't *you* like to know!" taunted the monster. "Maybe we killed her, fileted her like a fish--hung her head on a pole and danced around it like wild savages!!! Or maybe she's alive an doesn't give a damn for you anymore. Either way, it's painful, isn't it!" He jabbed his electrical prod into Carlos's ribs, and Carlos almost could not muffle his yells of pain.  
  
For hours, they had been periodically put under the torture from where they had been chained to the wall--and, after suffering wounds, bruises, and burns, were re-healed with dermal regenerators so the torture could start all over again.  
  
It was probably no conincidence that they were being particularly savage to Trey. *Kill the sister, destroy the brother?* Carlos thought weakly. *They haven't healed him half as much as the rest of us. His wounds will really start to fester soon if they don't! They are already an angry red! Boy, somebody sure has a grudge against him!*  
  
Trey stared vacantly ahead, seeming to see nothing, and probably having ceased to care, either. Neither boy could sense Sharie, so the monster's tauntings about her death could very well have a ring of truth to it.  
  
It was only the faint hope that perhaps she was alive, on some off-chance, that kept *him* going, certianly, Carlos mused. Trey seemed to have little will left, probably only his stubborn pride to not give in to the enemy in such a humiliating fashion was keeping him going now.  
  
Until those festering infections got the best of him.  
  
Darkonda came sauntering into the room and motioned to the head monster. Obediently, the hideous thing rambled over so Darkonda could whisper into his ear, or what passed as his ear.  
  
In turn, the monster gave a short, sharp laugh. "Oh, they'll love that, I'm sure!" His electric prod smacked against the floor in his glee.  
  
Darkonda, too, laughed maliciously as he sauntered back out of the room, taking that all-important air of his with him.  
  
The lead monster, still cackling, came back over to the fallen rangers.  
  
"I guess it's time to tell you the fate of your precious Sharie," he cackled. "Wait'll you here this. Is she dead or is she alive? Hm, decisions, decisions."  
  
"Oh, just chill with the jokes and spill!" snapped Cassie.  
  
"Quiet, missie!" He snarled at her. "Or you will fry like a strip of bacon." His electric prod waved maliciously to prove his point.  
  
For the first time in hours, Trey showed some real recognition of his surroundings. "Just spill, you jerk."  
  
"Oh, very well," the monster rubbed his scaly hands. "Your precious princess is alive, very much so."  
  
Carlos deflated suddenly. She was alive! However, he felt his insides grow cold at the monster's next words.  
  
"Oh, she's alive. But the sad truth is," the monster rubbed his hands again. "She's changed. Very, very changed. She'll be in here soon enough, but don't expect her to show pity for your condition--or to give a damn about you at all, whatsoever. She's one of us now."  
  
"I don't believe you!" cried Ashley. "Sharie would never submit to that!"  
  
"Oh?" sneered the monster. "She did to this one--after much difficulty, you understand. She's got a powerful mind and she was most reluctant to let the spell fall into place, let's just put it that way. But she'll be through here as part of a tour of the Dark Fortress--then you'll see for yourself. She is setting up to take command of the place, you know."  
  
"In fact," chuckled the monster. "No doubt the orders for the torture came directly from your own precious princess!! Ah, but life is good!"  
  
One of the monster's subbordinantes came up to him. "Straighten up! They're on their way now!"  
  
Carlos closed his eyes. So it was true then. His Sharie, his Querida, the one he loved, was no more. All that he would see of her from now on was a shell of her fomer person--no doubt, so would he. The pain of betrayal he felt was so strong he wanted to die. He had no doubt now that Trey felt the same way.  
  
****  
  
A she walked along behind Darkonda, barely listening to his ramblings about how the Dark Fortress worked, Sharie kept her face carefully schooled into lines of nothingness. Inside, however, she was in a desperate turmoil.  
  
How was she going to face them and not betray herself? How was she really going to get through this, knowing how badly she was going to hurt everybody in order to save their lives.  
  
*Hey, at least they'll *be* alive,* a part of her mind attempted to console her. The rest of her mind was not swayed, but she knew that she must do this in order to assure their survival.  
  
"Here we are, my little Triforian lady," cackled Darkonda. "Hope you like what you see. Ha ha ha!!!"  
  
How she ached to slap that sneer off his face. She didn't dare.  
  
****  
  
The door opened, and Carlos lifted his head. As he expected, Darkonda came through, and he strained his head for a glimpse of Sharie as she followed him in.  
  
*No! That can't be her!* He was frankely amazed. The Sharie he knew would *never* have dressed like that--so alluring and yet so dangerously. It looked more domineering than something the old Astronema would have worn. The gloved hands gripping the bo staff she held casually looked like they were easily capealbe of strangling someone. Black leather on black spandex, with barely a hint of purple--it mad him want to shudder. At least she hadn't changed her hair to go along with it.  
  
And the stride--the insolent stride she was sporting spoke all the more of a very different woman. The swaying hips, the stiff shoulders--alluring, as if daring someone to get her, and yet unreachable and unapproachable as well.  
  
Swallowing in fear, he forced his gaze to travel upwards to her face--and immediately wished he hadn't.  
  
Even Astronema's face had never been so...cold. Her face had absolutely no emotion whatsoever--coldly uncaring. He scarcely dared to look at her eyes, almost didn't. They were twin sets of empty wastelands--as if nothing would ever move her emotionally again--they were that cold and hard.  
  
Sharie, in turn, felt their eyes bore into her, even as she inwardly flinched from seeing their condition. They were in various stages of injury from the fight and from torture afterwards, she was sure.  
  
And the looks they were casting her--ranging from pity to open hostitilty, looks she never thought she would see coming from any of them....her friends, ones she cared about the most.  
  
She forced herself to shrug in response to their obvious pain--not sure what she could do for them. And her act seemed to be working, for nobody, not even the rangers, gave any indication they could see through her facade- -they could not even sense her, not even Trey--she made sure of that.  
  
And then, she came to Carlos. The pain in his eyes was too much for her to bear, even though she struggled successfully to hide it. She stopped and stared at him--while it looked like she was leering at him, she was, in reality, eagerly absorbing the sight of him. It had seemed too long--when it had been only yesterday--since she last saw him, and this would no doubt be the last time--for awhile, anyway.  
  
She could not stare at him too long without a reason, so she thought fast on how to avoid Darkonda's suspicions. Darkonda's dark eyes were boring into her back, so she moved quickly, ad-libbing the first words that came to her mind.  
  
"You!" she hissed, her face inches from his and her icy eyes making him flinch. "Look at me. Different, aren't I?"  
  
Carlos nodded weakly, his tongue completely tied.  
  
"Ha!" she sneered. "What do you think of me now?"  
  
He stared back at her, not answering, but his eyes were hurt.  
  
The look stabbed into her chest, but she held her ground. "Go on, answer me. I can take it, I promise you."  
  
He still said nothing.  
  
"Hmph. Maybe this will make you talk." Sharie could still feel Darkonda's eyes boring into her back, which sprang her into action. She leaned forward, and without any warning, kissed Carlos hard.  
  
Carlos was shocked to his toes as her hot mouth seared his savagely. Despite himself, a fiery flush seared his senses--probably the only thing about her that did not seem to change.  
  
He gasped when she jerked her lips from his, causing his air to finally explode from his chest.  
  
"Well?" she snapped coldy, looking as if the kiss had not affected her at all. "Answer me."  
  
Words at last found his tongue, but came out in a strained whisper. "You could never make me hate you, Sharie. No matter what you do. I will always love you--and pity what you have become."  
  
Her laugh was convincing enough to send sharp chills up his spine. "Pity? Ha! I don't need your pity, black ranger," her voice became low and seductive, her leather-gloved hand brushing under his chin just slightly. "I don't need anything out of you at all." She was about to turn away, then paused and looked him over, openly leering at him.  
  
"You know, you *are* one handsome devil," she mused lazily. "My old self was pretty smart to land someone like you. Maybe I'll keep you on for my amusement for awhile. Until then--" she waved her hand dismissively as she sauntered away from him.  
  
****  
  
"Now *this* is a real pity," she remarked to Shayla, when she passed her. "It's a shame you had to be captured on your first real adventure as a ranger, dear. Well, better luck next time--that is, if I allow you a next time."  
  
She passed it on, painfully aware of Shayla glaring at her departing back.  
  
Sharie only stopped once more, when she came to Trey. Inside, she started to cry upon seeing his condition--the red flush coming over his skin had to be from the badly-treated, hardly-healed, wound in his side, small and hardly noticeable, but visibly infected, if one looked well.  
  
She paused, seeing him look through her as if she wasn't there.  
  
A sharp stab of pain in her heart almost made her lose composure right there. Forcing everything down for the sake of his safety and hers, she poked him firmly, forcing him to meet her gaze.  
  
The feelings of betrayal and mental conflict were so evident in his eyes, once she looked deeply enough and knew how to see it. Sharie almost lost it, but she again felt Darkonda's eyes on her back and sensed that this was the true test--her betrayal of her own flesh and blood.  
  
This would hurt both horribly, but it was the only way she could at least temporarily ensure he would live. *Gods, Trey, please forgive me for what I am about to do! May whatever diety is listening forgive me as well!*  
  
"Well, well, brother dear," she hissed coldly. Only his pain-filled eyes flinched at her tone. "I expect you still care about me, like Carlos--that fool!" she snorted.  
  
He just gave the barest of nods.  
  
The tension in the room was palpable.  
  
"Let me tell you this," she snarled, putting her face closer to his. "Maybe it would be in your best interest to *stop*, Trey."  
  
For good measure, she slapped him, the audiable sound echoing off the walls.  
  
The slap reverberated and slammed backwards into her own stomach. She'd struck him. Oh, gods! She'd struck him, and not even in anger!  
  
"That's for all the misery you have caused me all these years--especially the other week." Her words cut into him savagely, but he made no show of it. "I should see you destroyed right here--but not yet. I am not sorry to say, though, *I* don't care anymore. And why should I? You mean less than nothing to me." Her laugh rang out in the room. "All of you!"  
  
She could see the added sheen in his eyes, but the fire of some hidden source refused show anything else. She flatly turned her back on him and stomped out of the room, Darkonda on her heels.  
  
"Well, princess," he snapped in glee. "You were impressive in there. Dark Spectre will be pleased."  
  
Her anger very real, she whirled on him. "Why are you wasting our men, our time, and our resources on them? Our men are better off preparing things to serve Dark Spectre. They are wasting their time in that room doing nothing but jabbing electric prods and other simple torture for nothing but fun. Double their workload, or something, but I want defense and weapons systems spiffed up more around here. This place has lousy quality, if you ask me."  
  
Darkonda chuckled. "I like your calculating mind. I suppose you are right, they are wasting their time. They've had their fun. I will see to it they are no longer idle."  
  
He bowed and left.  
  
It was only then that Sharie found herself alone outside of her quarters. Her defenses snapped as she rushed inside, straight to the bathroom. She lost hold of them completely as her stomach churned, and she threw up, violently.  
  
What had she done? Nothing but inflict some of the worst pain imaginable to those she loved the most! She had probably killed Trey with those cruel words. They way they had both been these past weeks, he would not be able to take any more pain. She as much as handed him the perfect excuse to end it all--just like she wanted to do now.  
  
Tears rolled down her face as she threw herself face down on her bed. She wondered how much more she could stand as she began to sob her heart out, feeling certain that all was lost for her, even if she managed, somehow, to free them.  
  
It was all that would keep her going.  
  
****  
  
Trey felt dead inside. It was over, he sensed it with a deadening finality. Sharie was lost to him. He had only one objective now, and that was getting the others out of here. And he did not give a damn if he died now or not. He could feel the festering infection poisoning his body even as he stood there, still chained. He doubted he would make it, anyways, even for the one person he still had--Delphine. But....  
  
Another wave of dizziness consumed him, and his knees buckled. No. He was not going to make it out of here alive. It did not seem likely that one infection from one wound could spread so quickly, and he would not be surprised if someone among Darkonda's men had seen fit to poison him or infect him somehow with a more deadly virus. Some of them he had battled before in times past, and they clearly recognized him now. No wonder his torture had been worse. One of them *had* injected him with a syringe.....  
  
He was soon in a no-man's land of darkness. He could no longer open his eyes or function right, but--to his distress--he could still hear and sense everything going on around him. He heard the other rangers call his name frantically, and he could not move enough to make a proper response.  
  
Besides, what was the point, espeically now? Pain siezed his chest and he did not care. Sharie had inflicted the worst pain imaginable on him with her cutting words--for the thought that he did not mean anything to her, or being seperated from her yet again--could death really be any worse? Delphine.....she could find someone else....more worthy of him.....  
  
****  
  
Sharie sank down with a feeling of terror, real terror that started in her stomach and spread rapidly throughout the rest of her brain.  
  
"Fatal! What's wrong with him that he would be dying! No! Not Trey! No!"  
  
She huddled on her bed, wishing she had enough courage to take the knife from it's hidden sheath on her and drive it into her own chest. Only Ecliptor's words kept her going. *Trey! Dying! No! nonononono!!!*  
  
"I have something to confess," Ecliptor managed, limping over to her bed and sitting beside her on it. "He suffers from the Bendai virus. Many years ago, your father was in a skirmish with one of Dark Spectre's minions. It is in our records that the monster he battled deliberately infected your father with this virus, and that is what took his life such a short time later.  
  
"Now, what I fear is that someone else, probably one of your brother's old enemies here, got wind of this, for someone has deliberately infected your brother with the same virus. If he does not get treatment soon it will kill him. What killed your father will also take your brother's life."  
  
"Oh no! No!" Sharie cried, tears streaking her face. Impatiently, she scrubbed them away, refusing to give into something from long ago that was suddenly threatening to overwhelm her again. "I won't let it happen again, Ecliptor! I *won't*!!! This has to end, and soon!"  
  
"I agree," said Ecliptor, calmly, hoping his calm would somehow transfuse to Sharie. She was just short of sheer panic. "I have a plan. There is now a cure for that virus, I am glad to say." He took her hand and slipped a vial into it. She responded by gripping it as if it were a lifeline.  
  
"Have them brought into the right hanger bay. What the others don't know is that I have detected an Aquitian force headed for us--it appears my Astronema has managed to get backup. I sabatoged the system so nobody else would find out. When you get the rangers there, order them destroyed."  
  
"What?" Sharie's eyes widened.  
  
"Do as I say. But before Darkonda does, it will be up to you to create some sort of scene to allow the others to get to the Megaship and escape. You must also find a way to get your brother out of here and cure him before it's too late. I hope you know a good hiding place, for someone will be searching for you and Trey in the fray. Don't take him to the megaship to cure him--he would be in the way with everyone else running around, I am sure, and you don't need to bear the brunt of thier anger until you have time to explain all these sordid details, not to mention the search would be the most intense there if you went right away. No, go somewhere else." He sighed resignedly. "It is the best I can do, and I can help you no further."  
  
"It is enough!" whispered Sharie, her eyes bright with tears. "The rest may hate me for what I have done to them, but at least they will live. Thank you."  
  
"I am doing the right thing," he assured her. "I just ask one thing."  
  
"Anything. If it is within my power to grant it."  
  
"Please..." he stumled. "Tell Astronema--er, Karone, that I am all right-- and I miss her."  
  
There was no denying the truth of this, a father's love for his daughter. Sharie smiled. "I promise."  
  
****  
  
It was only after he left that Sharie allowed the waves of pain she had been holding back to consume her at last. Something roared so close to the surface, that elusive reason for her depression--telling her the answer to all this misery was right in front of her.  
  
Through her blurry eyes, for she allowed no more tears to fall, she stared at the bottle of antidote to the virus her brother was suffering from.  
  
The same virus that had killed her father.  
  
Her *father*!  
  
All at once, Sharie felt she had been slammed in the head.  
  
*Daddy!*  
  
With a growing sense of horror and comprehension, she ran to the console to check the date.  
  
It was as she had feared.  
  
*The anniversary of her father's death!*  
  
This fact she had, of course, never forgotten, but--  
  
Oh, gods, it all made sense now! The date! Her father's death--a death that had shocked her and she had never grieved over! This time of year when the depression came on both her and Trey!  
  
*This was the reason?!* Her mind wailed. *All these years? Of course I realized that he died this date every year--but why did I never connect the two?*  
  
She was trembling violently as she sat back on the bed. *Was I too afraid? Because I never grieved, was this the way of my feelings expressing themselves? Trey too? We're so much alike...* She wanted to scream. *Sharie Jeanette Triesta, what a fool you are! Oh, Daddy! I wish you were here. I miss you so much!*  
  
She gripped the vial in her hand as tightly as she dared. *Not again, my beloved brother Trey! Even if I never again have your trust or your love, because I was forced to shatter it for the sake of your life--you won't die like daddy did. I promise!*  
  
New surges of determination filled her heart. She *was* going to get them out of here, or die trying. She *was* going to save Trey's life, and not let history repeat itself.  
  
*Daddy, I may have been a fool, but now I will make you proud!*  
  
****  
  
Even in his no-man's land, Trey felt like smirking.  
  
So this was the stuff that had killed his father? What a way to go. He had overheard the other monsters talking, they unaware he could still hear and think.  
  
And, although he could not move or express his inner turmoil, he at last understood the cause of his yearly distress. This was, after all, the anniversary of his father's death--how could he ever forget?  
  
And how could he have been so dense to not realize, until now, that it was this that caused his yearly depression.  
  
*Triesta, you are the dumbest man in the universe--and soon to be the deadest. Oh, well, Dad, at least I will see you again soon. My sister doesn't care for me, and I won't live long enough to see Delphine, and Mom and Shayla will force themselves to go on.*  
  
Even as he thought these words, he could feel himself shutting down, his life slowly slipping away--he was in the dark, but his mind was still clear, and he could hear around him. Somehow, he somehow he sensed it would be until the very end.  
  
How horrifying to think his father had felt himself die like this. *Like father, like son....*  
  
At least his sanity was slipping away.  
  
****  
  
"You are all to be destroyed," Sharie told her teammates smugly, right in front of the group of assembled monsters.  
  
Of course, a bawdy cheer went up at those words.  
  
"No!" cried Ashley bravely over the racket. "Sharie, the real you has to be in there somewhere, I know it! Don't do this!"  
  
"Scared, eh?" Sharie tanuted, forcing the bile back down from where it threatened to erupt from her stomach. "You guys are of no use to me, and you are just in the way? The remedy? Dispose of you. See? Simple problem, simple solution."  
  
Over the roar of the assmbled monsters, Sharie's mind raced. She would have to time this perfectly; the Aquitians were due to arrive at any moment now.  
  
Holding her fingers to her lips, she blasted a sharp whistle. "Silence!"  
  
Obediently, the crowd quieted.  
  
"Darkonda, step forward."  
  
"Outta my way, you tin monkeys," he chortled, obediently pushing his way through the crowd. "Yes, Milady?"  
  
She favored him with a parody of a smile. "How would you like to do the honors?"  
  
"Of doing away with 'em? Sure!"  
  
"Hey, no fair!" booed a voice from the crowd. "We wanna have at 'em, too!"  
  
"Yeah, don't spare us the fun!"  
  
"We wanna kill 'em!"  
  
"Quiet!!" Sharie cried over the jeering noise. "I said Darkonda only!" Without provocation--and with a true sense of satisfaction, this time--she lifted her bo staff and fired it directly at a monster in the front row, who yelled in surprise and fell. He moaned, and barely moved. Behind her, Sharie could hear the collective gasps of her friends at how blantantly-- and without appearant feeling--she had pulled such a stunt.  
  
A few more monsters jeered and laughed at the person she had shot, until Sharie whistled for silence again.  
  
"Do I hear any further objections?"  
  
No one else spoke up to the contrary.  
  
Sharie hoped her pounding heart and fear did not show in her eyes. Her fingers tightened on her bo staff as she turned back to Darkonda. "Are you going to do this?"  
  
"Ah, my dear, you do me a great honor." He bowed.  
  
"Good." Sharie paused, and he could have sworn she was waiting for something. "Destroy them."  
  
"With pure pleasure."  
  
Darkonda turned--and exploded in a shower of sparks and smoke.  
  
Seconds later, when the smoke cleared and the stunned audience could see again, there were gasps of shock to see Sharie standing there, face set in determination, her bo staff the clear source of the weapons fire.  
  
"What the--" cried voices from the crowd. "She shot Darkonda--*she's a traitor*!!!"  
  
"Good guess," Sharie sneered at them, and with a swift motion drew the dagger from it's hidden sheath in her leg. "Hah!"  
  
"It went hurtling through the air, and buried itself in the button that held the automatic shackles binding her friends shut. There was an audible *click* as the shackles opened, freeing them.  
  
At that instant, there were five swirls of light as the Aquitian rangers shimmered into existence.  
  
The room exploded in a fury of fighting activity.  
  
Sharie knew that they only had one chance. "Guys, you have a clear path to the megaship--go, get control now!"  
  
For a moment, all they could do was stare in shock--her act had been so convincing, and this seemed too good to be true.  
  
"You traitor!" cried a voice behind her. Sharie whirled and swung her bo staff at the monster who threatened her, before he even had a chance to use his weapon on her. She tripped him up and pinned him to the ground, point- blank with the end of her staff.  
  
"Never underestimate a ranger," she told him smugly, before firing and ending the monster's misery.  
  
She gasped and whirled around again when she felt another hand on her shoulder. Hands at the ready to fire, she turned to face her next foe.  
  
It was Carlos!  
  
Hesistantly, her eyes rose to meet his disbelieving ones.  
  
"You...." his voice sounded strangled, and she could barely hear him over all the fighting fray around him. "All this time....you were faking it all?"  
  
A fiery pressure she had been holding back burned at the backs of her eyes. "Yes. The deception was the only way to give all of you a chance to live. I hope..." she drew a deep breath and stood on her toes, pressing her lips to his in a gentle, tender kiss. She could hear his heart pounding. When she pulled back, *he* was the one with tears falling down his face. "I hope that one day you can forgive me."  
  
She started to move away.  
  
"Stop!" he cried as she moved to her brother's limp form. "Where are you going?"  
  
"They will be after me. Trey has the Bandai Virus--it's what killed my father. This is the anniversary of his death, Carlos--I finally understand what has been affecting me and Trey all these years." With a grunt, she slid Trey's arm around her shoulder and hefted herself to his feet.  
  
"I have the cure for his condition--but they will be looking for me, and they won't focus on you as much if I am not on the Megaship. I know a perfect place to hide, for now. Tell Delphine not to worry about Trey."  
  
Before he could say anything, a teleportation beam began to materialize around her. but before she faded away completely, she looked at him once more--all signs of iciness gone from her eyes--and she smiled.  
  
Scrubbing the blur from his eyes, he went back to fighting with renewed vigor. Because that type of smile was as powerful as any power he could muster--even his lightstar powers.  
  
****  
  
The place Sharie had chosen for her destination was the place where she had helped Karone and Zhane meet on the sly. Since only the three of them knew about this place, Sharie felt the place would be fairly safe for the time being.  
  
Sharie managed to drag herself over to the windowseat while supporting Trey before her knees buckled.  
  
It wasn't so much weakness as it was raw emotion threatening to overwhelm her. She knew this was, of course, her fault. And if Ecliptor had told her he knew the reason for Trey's distress, and her father's, then surely everyone else on the Dark Fortress knew, and surely, then, Trey had found out.  
  
*But is he going to live to contemplate it?* Trembling, her fingers fumbled at the base of his neck for a pulse. It was very weak, rapid, and thready at best. HIs color had become a horrible grey. He didn't have long, in any case. Her mind raced as she fumbled for the vial Ecliptor had slipped her. Her fingers trembled as she fought to remove the lid, silently cursing her sudden clumsiness.  
  
*If there is any diety listening at all, I pray to you to let this stuff work. He means more to me than anything.*  
  
To make matters worse, the tears she had been holding back through this whole ordeal--the core of raw emotion she had suffered and forced herself not to feel or show to anybody, for her own life and that of her friends-- blurred her vision further, and ran, unheeded, down her face.  
  
*Come *on*!* Sharie finally jerked the cap off the liquid. It smelled vile, and her stomach threatened to revolt.  
  
But it was the only thing that stood between Trey and certain death.  
  
Kneeling beside him, she took Trey's head in her hands and tilted it back, opening his mouth. She wondered if this would taste as vile as it smelled-- what she had read on the virus properties, victims often had their bodies deadened, but their minds lingered intact, and their sense of hearing, until the moment of death.  
  
Could he really hear her now? She wondered this as she clamped her hand over his chisled nose and opening his mouth with her fingers. As quickly as she could, she poured the contents of the vial into his open mouth and clamped it shut, keeping her fingers firmly over his nose and cutting off his air supply until he swallowed.  
  
He choked violently, and she desperately hoped he did not throw it up. It was all she had and she had no idea what was in it so she could duplicate it.  
  
She stroked his forehead, brushing away his dark locks as his breathing slowly resumed. She hoped she was not in for a long wait.  
  
One hand flew to her face as she did this, shocked to find that, all this time, tears had been streaming freely down it--and she hadn't even noticed. Damn, couldn't she even tell when she wanted to cry?  
  
The pressure on her throat, behind her eyes, and on her heart finally gave way, and it all crashed in on her as her trembling increased. She sat there, crouched on the floor beside the window seat, and finally let go.  
  
"They say victims of the Bandai Virus can hear and still think, even as they lay dying," she quivered aloud, hoping, and yet dreading, that Trey could hear her. But these were words that she knew she had to say.  
  
"Trey....how can I say I am sorry for this? All of it? Gods, I was so cruel to you, to everybody--why is it so difficult to explain that I was faking it all? That the spell didn't work? It was the only way to get you out alive. Don't you dare die on me, Trey Taryn Triesta! I love you!" her voice continued to lower to a whisper. "Trey, they told you that Daddy died of this. You know, don't you? I refuse to let history repeat itself! You mean more to me than anybody, Trey--I want you to know that. I had to lose Daddy, I won't lose you too."  
  
Her arms, gripped around her knees, jerked spasmodically as memories flooded her--memories of her father, of Trey, of happy times--and then that horrible, horrible period of time when he was dying--and then dead. And what happened afterwards. Not eating for three days, not able to look into Trey's eyes because they looked too much like the father she'd loved, ignoring Trey in the process and going off to be alone....and finally seeing the haunted pain in Trey's eyes, knowing how much he needed her now and how selfish she'd been to want to be alone when his pain was so great, when he desperately wanted her by his side so badly, the only one who could ease his pain....  
  
And they'd never really cried. She hadn't. Trey's real grief had consisted of two lone tears. Nothing more. They'd locked it down, buried it, forced it into the deepest depths of their souls, where it festered and turned to stone....  
  
A wry smile split her lips. "I am such a fool, Trey. You wondered why we never could figure out why this affected us each year--well, it's the date of Daddy's death, right? We were so shocked when he died--we never even grieved. And this is the price we've been paying, without even realizing it." She sniffled. "Some price. Trey, I hope you don't hate me for what I've done. The damage I did was irreversible to the relationship between us, I know--but I hope--I pray that you will forgive me, one day. We have too much to live for now, both of us. We aren't the same people of four months ago anymore--we've both changed, in ways for the better. Gods, please don't harden yourself towards me for what I have done."  
  
Sharie felt drained as she laid her head against the edge of the windowseat, closing her eyes. She did not hear nor feel Trey move until she felt his hands lift her off the floor and into his arms, enfolding her into a fierce embrace.  
  
"Never, Lalinka. Never would I do that to you. I promise." His voice was silk on her ears even as shock ran through her to actually feel him moving. Her gasp was almost soundless as she pulled back enough to stare into his dark eyes--his startlingly clear, beautiful dark eyes.  
  
"Trey! You'll be okay!" a ragged sob slipped past her lips, and she saw him smile fanitly as his fingers covered her mouth gently.  
  
"I will," he breathed, "Thanks to you." He pulled her close, an uncommon desperation evident in his grip. "Oh, Lalinka!"  
  
"You--you heard all I said?"  
  
"Mm-hm." His faintly tear-glazed dark eyes were smiling down at her, nonetheless. It was something she never figured to see again in him, and she cherished the sight.  
  
"I'm sorry," she whispered faintly, simply unable to control the fiery pain coursing through her--or the joy of knowing he would be okay. "Trey, I was so cruel--"  
  
And she had been. He should not be looking at her like that--not after what she'd done to him, how she'd almost let him die, what she'd said.....  
  
Again his fingers over her lips cut off her words. "Sh." He pulled back to brush the palms of his hands over her face to dry her tears, which did little good since her control was shot. New tears immediately streamed down her face. "It wasn't your fault. I understand now what a predicament you found yourself in. I don't quite understand how you managed to beat the evil spell I heard the monsters boasting about--but you did a *very* convincing job of pretending that it worked, I assure you."  
  
"And you saw how I was forced to act!" she said bitterly, pulling her gloves off her hands and reaching up to touch the faint bruises on his face- -her fingermarks. Again came the horrifying thought--*I struck him!*  
  
"I struck you, for example?" she echoed the terrible words aloud, and almost choked. "Not to mention saying you meant less than nothing to me.....I wanted so badly to let you know somehow that I did not mean it....and I hurt you so badly...."  
  
He was about to deny that she had hurt him, but her eyes implored him for the truth. "At the time, yes, it stung horribly," he admitted softly, and he saw her wilt. "But I understand."  
  
He held her close and rocked her gently as he said these words. Yes, he understood now. Why hadn't he fit the pieces together himself? He felt like an utter fool; maybe the illness had clouded his judgement. He'd underestimated what her mind could do, and had also underestimated how strong her heart was.  
  
Knowing she loved him, after all, and was still his Lalinka--still the same sister whom he loved more than anything, or just about anyone.  
  
"Am I forgiven?"  
  
"There is nothing you did that requires you to ask for, or me to offer, forgiveness," he assured her. It was true. Not after she'd tried so hard, and had sacrificed so much for them, even if at the time it hadn't felt that way.  
  
"You mean that? You don't resent me?"  
  
"I would never do that to you, though I am glad now that I do have some real reason to keep going." His arms tightened about her. "I wanted to die after what happend, you know. I admit it--I couldn't sense you, and you certainly acted cold enough. When I found out that I was dying, and from the same virus that killed Father, I didn't much care."  
  
He felt her shiver. "You do know, then, the whole truth about that?"  
  
"Yes. The monsters thought I could not hear their talk, but I did." She heard the very real quiver enter his voice. "Damn, what a way to bring up such a reminder of our father's death."  
  
"That was the reason we've been searching for," she whispered. "Damn, Trey, I am such a fool. What kept me from realizing that this depression that strikes us every year was caused by our father's death? Why did we never connect the two? I never forgot our father's death, or the date, certainly--that day is seared into my brain, crystal-clear and forever!!!"  
  
A tremor passed through him, and she knew he was keenly feeling the pain she had running through her own heart.  
  
"How could I ever forget that horrid day, either?" He trembled. "Such a shock--I couldn't grieve, and you--I don't know what went through your mind. You didn't eat for three days, and wouldn't let anybody touch you. I thought you'd follow him to the grave."  
  
"I would not do that. I was just acting selfish--remember, I told you this already? When you were writing in your journal."  
  
"Selfish--ha." his voice cracked. "I fear that the root of both our depressions is my fault."  
  
"What?" Sharie could not quite believe her ears.  
  
He swallowed and nodded. "My sense of self-discipline. Not letting my inner feelings show. You and I were so close and you imiated my behaivor so much, until it became ingraned and a part of you as well."  
  
"That's nonsense--I....you...." She shook. "We've been in shock for fifteen years over Daddy's death, Trey. I am so sick of holding it in anymore--I just can't hold it in anymore."  
  
"Neither can I," he whispered, over a half-sob. "Especially when I think of how much I miss him. Just--don't hold it back anymore, Lalinka. I will be here for you. You promised to be here for me--I will be here for you."  
  
She sniffled, and nodded against his chest. "Don't you hold it back, either, Trey Triesta. I will be here for you, too."  
  
She felt his hand squeeze hers very tightly as he lost his own hold on his pain. After broiling under the surface for so many years, and finally realizing the reason, it seemed almost glad to finally break free.  
  
Trey pulled his sister closer to him--if it were possible--and laid his head on hers, unable to control his anguish any longer, but a part of him smiling inside nonetheless. At last, that heavy emotional chain that had burdened them both for years, to strike every single year, began to slip, and at last cracked entirely, never to return.  
  
****  
  
"Where are they?" demanded Ashley as soon as the Megaship had fled to safety, followed by the Aquitian zords. "They just vanished. Where is Trey?"  
  
"He'll be fine, I am sure of it," said Carlos, staring out the window. "He is in the best of hands."  
  
"I can't believe she was faking!" exclaimed Ashley. "She certainly had us all fooled! Then suddenly--boom! Darkonda explodes, and everything starts to whirl."  
  
"Karone made it safely to us, with Tami and Toby," Delphine assured an anxious Andros. "She's been waiting on my battlezord--she'll be over in a second."  
  
"How are the twins?" he asked hesistantly.  
  
"They are fine, now. We have treated their injuries--all three of them came to us in bad shape. They had been fired upon repeatedly, but escaped with numerous new injuries. Karone explained it all. That is why we came." Delphine fidgeted. "Where is Trey?"  
  
"Well, since it was obvious Sharie was faking the whole facade of being evil, she took him away to treat his Bandai Virus," answered Andros. "Nobody knows where. She only told Carlos that, as a traitor, she would bear the brunt of their search, and if she was not onboard the Megaship, they would focus their energies elsewhere to look for her. She went to some secret place with Trey that I don't know about."  
  
"Bandai Virus!" He was shocked to see Delphine go pale.  
  
"Assuming you've heard of it?"  
  
"Yes! Nobody survives it without the proper antidote."  
  
"I don't know how Sharie got her hands on it, but Carlos said she had some sort of treatment," Andros assured her. "He is in good hands. Don't worry."  
  
"I do, and for the very simple fact that I love him. I am sure you feel the same way for Karone. Speaking of which--" she waved her hand, and three teleportation signatures announced the safe arrival of Karone and the twins from Delphine's Zord.  
  
"Karone," whispered Andros, his eyes going wide in relief. She looked healthy again, and the twins bore no further traces of their injuries. They were wearing Aquitian clothes, too--their other clothes, even after demorphing from the Zeo Warrior powers, had been tattered and bloodsoaked, and unwearable.  
  
Karone smiled as she let go of the twins' hands. Without provocation, she accepted Andros coming over and hugging her tightly.  
  
"You are wonderful," he breathed. "Great work! I am *so* proud of you."  
  
Her hazel eyes were sparkling. "I had a little help," she gestured at the grinning duo behind her. "At times they protected *me* more than I did them."  
  
"Everything's balanced out, then?" he teased. "Balanced is the way it should be!"  
  
****  
  
They had been quiet for some time now, staring out the window into the vast depths of space. Sharie started when a violet-gold sparkle flashed in the corner of her eye. Trey heard her sharp intake of breath, and pulled back in time to see her wrists flash, her morphers promptly appearing on them.  
  
"My morphers! They came back!" Sharie breathed, looking at them. "When the evil spell attempted to take over my mind, they deadlocked into hyperspace."  
  
"I guess they figured your mind is safe from evil invasion," he teased gently. "Don't you think it is about time we got back, before we are missed?"  
  
She mentally calculated the time it had been--she wasn't sure exactly how long, but it had to be late in the afternoon by now. "I guess they should have escaped further notice from the Dark Fortress by now," she admitted, drawing a deep breath, and strangely grateful to discover that her breathing, that had been so heavy on her chest for weeks now due to her depression, now at last felt free and light--with only one more tinge of worry.  
  
"Trey," she breathed. "I am nervous about facing them again. My behaivor can't be *completely* warranted away."  
  
"I think you are underestimating them," he said, removing her headband from her head. "But just in case, wear your hair completely loose. And leave the gloves off. You will look less intimidating that way."  
  
She smiled, then a shadow crossed her face. "There is one more thing I neglected to tell you. It's about Darkonda, and something he attempted to do with Karone after he kidnapped her." Taking a deep breath, she told him the connection between her and Karone as fast as she could.  
  
He frowned, but shook his head. "The past can't be altered," he said firmly. "That Darkonda would have done such a thing is sick enough, but we can't change it. Maybe this would be one thing you *don't* tell Andros or Karone. It could just hurt them more."  
  
"At last! Something we agree on!" She poked him, and he smiled, catching her under her arms and whirling her around. "I should say so! Ready to go, Lalinka?"  
  
"Is Dark Spectre ugly? Sure."  
  
He laughed and reached over, hitting her teleporter button for her. Hand in hand, they vanished in a column of sparkly light.  
  
****  
  
All activity on the bridge of the Megaship stopped when the familiar Skrrch! of the teleporter announced the arrival of the Triesta siblings.  
  
Carlos turned to watch as Sharie and Trey shimmered into existence, both looking relatively healthy for the count. Privately, he was relieve to not only see Trey alive and well, but Sharie looking less intimidating with the headband and gloves removed.  
  
Delphine was right next to Trey as the sparkles faded away, Sharie took one look at her and let go of Trey's hand, giving him a slight nudge in her direction. He did not even have time to blink in surprise as she flung herself foward into his arms. Instinctively, his arms closed about her, for he remembered dispairing ever seeing her alive again.  
  
"They told me you had the Bandai virus," he heard her whisper softly. "I am glad you are all right."  
  
"I am fine," he assured her over the silence of the bridge. "Sharie saved my life."  
  
Sharie's eyes lowered as she felt all eyes on her suddenly. For a moment, she was frozen, not knowing what to say. It was only supreme effort that loosened her tongue.  
  
"I know I have a lot to apologize for," even in a whisper, the silence was so total everyone could hear her clearly. She wondered if they could hear her thudding heart as well. "I hope you can accept my apology and forgive me somehow--it was the only way I had a chance to keep you all alive. I truly am sorry for how I had to act."  
  
The silence lingered long enough for Sharie's heart to nearly stop. Her loud gasp of surprise, however, was lost in the delighted laughter of her friends as she suddenly found herself pounced upon--first by the twins, then Cassie, Ashley, and TJ. Andros stood there and smiled at her, and the welcome-back bows of the Aquitians warmed her to her toes.  
  
"We don't blame you," said Ashley, with a smile. "But you sure put on one *hell* of an act! Have you ever considered Hollywood?!"  
  
Sharie laughed as she looked down at the twins, who were watching her with great relief in their eyes. She knelt down and hugged them hardest of all.  
  
*Glad to see you made it. Trey told me of how badly injured you are.*  
  
*We are glad to see you! We would not be alive if it weren't for Karone,* Tami sent, a sparkling smile on her heart-shaped face.  
  
*She kept her promise to you to protect us, even if she says otherwise,* added Toby. Sharie, hearing this, lifted her face so her eyes met Karone's, and to the former Princess of evil, Sharie's grateful smile was thanks enough.  
  
Finally, Sharie let go of the twins. *You two sure know how to get mixed up in the worse messages,* she sent, amused. *Do your parents know where you are?*  
  
*They were pretty frantic until we called them on the comm system a short while ago,* sent Tami, looking only halfway ashamed. *Since not only us, but you, Trey, and all the rangers disappeared without a trace, they figured you were with us--not exactly an assumption for our safety, you know.*  
  
Sharie nodded. *I will back up the explanation so they don't ground you for disappearing on an adventure without warning them first.* Her eyes twinkled.  
  
*It wasn't our fault the quantrons attacked!* Sent Toby indignantly. *They can't blame us.*  
  
*They've had to put up with me for too many years,* Sharie answered him. *I doubt if they will.*  
  
Sharie felt Carlos behind her before he even spoke. "I don't suppose you are going to talk to *me*, Querida?"  
  
"No," she answered as she rose to face him. "Because I know what you really want to do."  
  
"Oh--this?" he answered as she willingly slid her arms around his neck, heedless of who was watching--or snickering.  
  
Their lips met in mutual relief and desire, if the flush that spread over both was any indication. Sharie did not even have to ask Carlos if he truly forgave her for what she had done to him--it was in his actions, the heartfelt bond that she at last let snap back into place, where it belonged.  
  
He didn't let her go. He couldn't. As if she knew how desperate he was to hold her, she aquiesced, opening her lips and admitting his tongue, feeling her own fire growing and only keeping a tenouous link on reality, because most of the others were politely turning away.  
  
Sharie only sighed through her nose and tightened her arms around his neck, completely uncaring even when she heard TJ joking with the twins about them not coming up for air, since each were the other's lifeline.  
  
*By the way,* she heard Carlos drawl lazily in her mind as he fumbled for her left hand around his neck. He drew it between them, his fingers covering hers as he subtly started to draw the ring she wore off her fingers. *I told you I would get us matching promise rings.*  
  
Startled, she could not move, only keeping her lips pressed to his, as she felt another smooth clasp slide onto the finger. She wondered now nobody noticed the movement, even when she drew her other hand down so he could sublty shift her other ring back onto her right hand.  
  
*What do you think of this one?*  
  
It was only then that she let him go, hugging him hard as her arms slid back around his neck. She took the opprotunity to see just *what* he had slid onto her hand; she felt like her legs were going to fall out from beneath her when she saw it.  
  
On a thin gold band was set five very tiny stones--three purple, and two black, side by side. Instinctively, she knew the purple was meant to represent her, and the black, Carlos--it was how Carlos thought. Most had turned away by then, so nobody noticed when she shifted out of his grasp enough to look at his own left hand.  
  
His was exactly like hers, except that there were three black stones and two purple stones.  
  
She smiled, understanding his message. They were a part of each other, and always would be.  
  
She didn't even have to say anything. The look of true devotion and love in her eyes was enough to tell him how she felt.  
  
"It's about time you two came up for air," joked Cassie as they finally broke apart. "I think *breathing* is part of the equation for life--at least for us."  
  
"We'll managed," Sharie laughed as she brushed her hair out of her eyes with her left hand. At last, the sparkling flash of the new ring caught somebody's attention--Ashley caught her hand before she could lower it.  
  
"Hey--how come I don't remember you wearing this before?"  
  
"Maybe because I have not worn it until a few minutes ago," Sharie gave a mischevious smile.  
  
"Why?"  
  
Sharie only smiled at Carlos. Ashely's eyes widened, as did Cassie's, who also took notice. For Carlos leaned against the console, a crooked grin on his face, and his arms folded--the matching ring clearly showing on his own left hand.  
  
"No way," said Ashley aloud, catching almost everyone's attention. "Don't tell me they are--you two are--I didn't even see him slip it on you!"  
  
"Poor eyesight." teased Sharie, enjoying her flustered appearance. "You didn't see Carlos slip it on when he held my hand? You were watching."  
  
"His hands are a lot bigger than yours, and he must have magic fingers, because I didn't see him slip that on!"  
  
"Matching rings?" Tideus sounded puzzled. "What do they signify?"  
  
"They're engaged!" blurted Cassie, before she turned beet-red. "I hope that's what they mean, though."  
  
Sharie's eyes met Carlos's, and there was no doubt in either mind that these were more than just promise rings. Not after all they had been through.  
  
"What do you want it to be?" she asked aloud to nobody, and everybody.  
  
"Has he proposed?" asked Cassie.  
  
Sharie turned *very* red. "Uh....well, it was sort of a mutual agreement thing on the promise rings, but...."  
  
Carlos, too, was red. "Oh, hogwash!" he exclaimed. "We both know our hearts, Sharie, and since I will most likely--at least, I hope--do this once in my life, we might as well make it official!"  
  
He took both her hands in his, and she felt them tremble, even as he looked her in the eye. "I don't know how to really do this," he began. "I have never really fell in love before. I was waiting for that one person who would not only set my soul on fire, but be my best friend, and the one my heart was truly sure about. Not only am I sure of all these things, Sharie, our connection is too strong, too binding, for anything to sever it, not even death. You captured my heart from the first time I looked into your eyes, Querida, and you are the one thing I cannot live without. Our lives are forever in danger, but we still keep going because of our strengths--and you are my strength, Sharie. I love you with all my heart, and as silly as all that sounded, those are some of the truest words I have no doubt I will ever say. I guess my point is," he flushed, and after that eloquent speech, spoke the last phrase bluntly. "Will you marry me, Querida?"  
  
Sharie's throat burned so badly she was not sure she could speak. She had to swallow several times to phrase some kind of reply. "Nothing like what you just said could ever be so insignifcant as to be called silly," she whispered. "Carlos, I have never heard truer words spoken, words from the heart. I am sure I never could match it, you have me so tongue-tied--but know this," she took another breath to steady her nerves. "What I see in your eyes just now outweighs any eloquent speech you or I could make, and I hope you realize that I match all your words and more. I love you, Carlos Perez, and will beyond the grips of death. I never thought love could affect me like the way it has with you--not only is my heart in your keeping, but my soul as well. We are never seperated, even when we are apart." She tapped his chest. "For I will always reside in here."  
  
He nodded, his dark eyes glowing as she continued. "And, knowing that, as dangerous as our lives are, living without what we share is difficult to even imagine." She touched his face. "As long as you can accept the danger in our lives, and as long as we both allow our love to see us through the worst and the best of times, then my answer is yes, I will marry you. I love you too much to consider otherwise."  
  
For a moment, there was complete slience on the bridge. Then Carlos, unable to contain himself, gave a cry. "She said yes!" Before Sharie could blink, he locked his arms around her waist and whirled her around once.  
  
"Thank you, Querida, thank you," she heard him whisper before his lips met hers again, this time in a kiss of tender gratitude. She returned it willingly, sure she had never been happier.  
  
****  
  
"Nice to see you back to your old self again," he commented later, when they were alone and she had told him the whole story.  
  
"I feel good," she agreed, his fingers tightening on hers. "And I don't think it will come back--at least, not for that reason. Not *ever*. I have too many other things about my past to bother me as it is."  
  
"No bad talk now," he admonished, kissing her quickly. "I am with you, so it's not allowed."  
  
Her lips curved in a smile against his. "We'll see, Perez. After today, we will have all the rest of our lives to really contemplate that."  
  
****  
  
"I can't believe she faked the whole thing!" exclaimed Darkonda, who had, as usual, come back with another one of his lives, like a cat. "That little---arrgh! If I could just get my hands on her.....someone helped her! I know it!"  
  
"Pipe down!" snapped Dark Dresden on the comm system. "I have little doubt as to who helped her. Why didn't you watch Ecliptor more closely? Trey's alive, and Ecliptor is the only one on board with access to the meical replicators."  
  
"You want me to go punish him?" Darkonda practically begged. "I'll do so most gladly."  
  
"Nah. I have a better solution, one that will extend to Karone as well when we recapture her."  
  
"You aren't giving up on her?"  
  
"Of course not! She is Astronema of the Evil Alliance, and she always will be! Her temporary respite will soon be over. In light of the failure of the spell, I am going to have you take more drastic action."  
  
"Oh?" this caught Darkonda's interest.  
  
"Sure. Both Astronema and Ecliptor will become my personal cyborgs, and will never turn traitor again."  
  
****  
  
Tragically, this was proved just days later. Sharie was almost grateful she was not there to witness the asteroid and Karone's capture. She became Astronema once again, and the only thng that kept Andros going--and Zhane, too, when he returned--was the knowledge that this time, it had been quite against her will.  
  
Sharie somehow knew it was because of her that Darkonda had resorted to Cyborg implants. She felt horrible about it, but also felt a renewed sense of determination to free Karone from her mental prison. Surely Karone was in there somewhere--the Karone that was in charge now was, by far, more evil and cruel than the old Astronema had ever been, for she truly felt nothing. Since Sharie knew that even Karone would condone that type of behaivor, Sharie was sure that this new Astronema was an evil entity that the implants had formed with parts of Karone's personality--and the real Karone was in there, intact, somewhere--watching and unable to do nothing as this strange personality used her body to commit henious acts.  
  
Something could be done. It had worked once, it could again. Sharie knew this, and so did everyone else as they united around Andros to bring Karone back once more.  
  
And this time, they hoped, they would win for certain. 


End file.
